Today the Lakers went to the road to challenge the Nets, and in the end they won 106:96 against the Nets, and this game was Davis's comeback battle. He had eight points, two rebounds and two assists in more than 20 minutes of playing time, including four blocks. Davis's help to the Lakers' defensive end after his comeback is obvious, and the Lakers can also make up for their shortcomings in the defensive end. As we all know, the reason why the Lakers have lost consecutive games in recent times is largely because of their defensive problems. Davis's comeback has solved the Lakers' weakness on the defensive end to some extent. The next thing the Lakers need to do is to ensure Davis' health and avoid another injury in the middle of the season.
The Lakers' rotation lineup after Davis' comeback has also been determined. Among them, through the arrangement of the starting lineup, we can clearly feel that Vogel is still very defensive, and today they are starting with James, Davis, Westbrook, Johnson and Bradley. Vogel made Johnson and Bradley start in large part because the two men had a very consistent presence on the defensive end. Vogel has always been a manager known for his defense, so he is very convinced that defense can lead the attack. At the starting level, James and Davis are in charge, so Vogel can safely send two defensive players to the starting position.
The Lakers' next rotation lineup is basically already determined. But at the same time, there are four people who may be abandoned by Vogel: Howard, Ariza, Ellington and Jordan Jr. Ellington and Jordan Jr. had been pressed to the bench by Vogel some time ago. Ellington and Jordan Jr. were moving very slowly on the defensive end and now seem to be out of tune with the fast-paced game on the pitch.
Howard's role after Davis' comeback was also curtailed. Today Vogel is obsessed with the five small lineups. When the Lakers don't play in the five-small lineup, Davis can play the fifth position. So Howard's role is not great. And Ariza's performance during this time shows that his footsteps on the field are moving very slowly. It seems that it has not adapted to the rhythm of the field.
Overall, the Lakers have largely laid the groundwork for their main lineup this season. Vogel still prefers to use younger players, such as Johnson, who joined halfway. We hope the Lakers will be able to maintain a stable lineup after Davis returns. Don't go on a large-scale absence, and sprint as much as you can in the second half of the season to ensure that you can make the playoffs smoothly.