Lakers News: Darvin Ham's Indefensible Starting 5 Revealed for Rockets Matchup

Will Darvin Ham ever learn?

As the Lakers square off against the reeling Rockets for the final time this regular season, head coach Darvin Ham will yet again start Taurean Prince over Jarred Vanderbilt, much to the dismay of Lakers fans everywhere. 

Per Jovan Buha of The Athletic, next to Prince, it's LeBron James, Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell, and Austin Reaves, representing the same starting five we've seen over the past few games where they've been healthy. 

As starters, this group is 6-4, coming off of two consecutive wins against the Bulls and Warriors. 

The Lakers’ starters in Houston:

D’Angelo Russell
Austin Reaves
Taurean Prince
LeBron James
Anthony Davis

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) January 30, 2024

The decision to start Prince over Vanderbilt truly makes little sense, given what we saw last game, where Vanderbilt posted a +/- of 29. Prince posted a +/- of -21, making Vanderbilt's fit with the other four starters far better than Prince's. 

Prince on the year has played decently well, shooting 39% from three-point range, but in a 1-point victory, a +/- disparity to that magnitude begins to reflect something a lot more serious than a player having a good or bad game. 

Vanderbilt is an elite defensive player that, as we saw during the team's 2023 playoff run, fits quite well next to the offensive prowess of the other four starters. He also can cover up defensive questions that arise from the team's backcourt of Reaves and Russell. 

At this point, however, Ham's mind seems made up, despite hints at preferring the lineup from multiple players, including LeBron James and Anthony Davis.