Coming off being swept last season in the Western Conference Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers looked to add more veteran presence around LeBron James and Anthony Davis last summer. An underrated signing that general manager Rob Pelinka pulled off was signing Taurean Prince to a one-year, $4.5 million contract. With Jarred Vanderbilt missing the beginning of the season, Prince stepped into the starting and played his role well, but was arguably misused by former head coach Darvin Ham. When reflecting on the season, Prince prided himself on staying available for the team, playing 78 games, the most since his sophomore season, while also adapting to whatever role is presented to him and helping the team however he can.
For the second consecutive season, the Denver Nuggets eliminated the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Playoffs. While the Lakers managed to avoid a disastrous sweep, it doesn't change the fact that they lost. Before the 2023-24 season commenced, the Purple and Gold made significant adjustments to their roster. Los Angeles opted for younger talent and maintained the majority of players who performed well in the previous season.
The bench production for the Los Angeles Lakers certainly has been lacking in the postseason, and that goes back to the end of the regular season. Spencer Dinwiddie and Gabe Vincent need to be more aggressively looking for their shot and not force the issue that could negatively impact the game. “I think that just comes with having flow,” Prince said. Unfortunately, during Game 2, Prince and Dinwiddie forced the issue during the fourth quarter and took ill-advised shots that Denver capitalized on.
No | Player | P |
---|---|---|
14 | C | |
10 | SG | |
3 | PF | |
26 | PG | |
20 | C | |
28 | PF | |
11 | C | |
0 | SG | |
23 | SF | |
21 | SF | |
4 | SG | |
12 | PF | |
15 | SG | |
5 | SF | |
1 | PG | |
2 | PF | |
7 | PG | |
35 | PF |