2022 Lakers Roster: Breakdown of Players Reporting to Training Camp
The Los Angeles Lakers' road to redemption starts now.
The opening of training camp means it's officially time to flush any memories of a rough 2021-22 NBA season and overload on optimism for the new campaign.
As per usual, there are plenty of moving parts for the Purple and Gold, so let's lay out the training camp roster before examining position battles and offering organizational goals.
Training Camp Roster
Juan Toscano-Anderson, SF/PF
Dwayne Bacon, SG (Non-guaranteed)
Patrick Beverley, PG
Troy Brown Jr., SF
Thomas Bryant, C
Max Christie, SF
Anthony Davis, PF/C
Wenyen Gabriel, PF/C (Non-guaranteed)
Jay Huff, C (Exhibit 10 contract)
LeBron James, SF/PF
Damian Jones, C
Javante McCoy, SG (Exhibit 10 contract)
Kendrick Nunn, PG/SG
Scotty Pippen, Jr., PG (Two-way contract)
Austin Reaves, PG/SG ( Non-guaranteed)
Matt Ryan, SG/SF (Non-guaranteed)
Dennis Schroder, PG
Cole Swider, PF (Two-way contract)
Lonnie Walker IV, SG
Russell Westbrook, PG
Camp Battles
The Lakers have to think of themselves as championship contenders. That's a non-negotiable when LeBron James is on the roster.
As far as contenders go, though, you probably won't find another that heads into training camp with only 40 percent of its starting lineup filled. James and Anthony Davis are obviously openers, but nothing is cemented beyond them.
New Lakers coach Darvin Ham told reporters he "absolutely" views Russell Westbrook as a starter, there seems to be—or should be, at least—some wiggle room there. Newcomers Patrick Beverley and Dennis Schroder appear as cleaner fits with James and Davis on paper, even if neither will be as productive as Westbrook.
Beyond the lead guard gig, the Lakers also need to find starters at shooting guard and center. Austin Reaves, Lonnie Walker IV and Kendrick Nunn could all be in the mix (as could either of the aforementioned point guards) at the 2, while the 5 figures to be a head-to-head tussle between Thomas Bryant and Damian Jones.
Goals
Last season was a lost one for the Lakers, and they need to do whatever they can to distance themselves from that disaster.
While there are certain strategic shifts to consider, the first priority is simply staying healthy. Seven Lakers cleared 60 games last season, and only two are still on the roster (Westbrook and Reaves). If L.A. can't follow the lead of its stars for the bulk of this 82-game marathon, then it will never get anywhere.
The Lakers then need a complete buy-in at the defensive end. When they made their championship run in 2019-20, they had the league's third-ranked defense, per NBA.com. Last season, they tumbled all the way to 21st. Defense is about culture and commitment as much as anything, and now is the time to establish both.
Finally, L.A. has to use the lead-up to the campaign to figure out how to maximize the impact of its newcomers.
No, the Lakers didn't land any household names, but they did put an obvious priority on getting younger and more athletic, so they need to find ways for that to matter.