Many fans and analysts have not agreed with Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott’s changes to the starting lineup which moved prized draft picks D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle to the bench.
Scott has said that he would keep this new look for around 10 games and it looks like it will be a little bit longer than that.
According to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters, Scott has said that he will likely keep the starting lineup through the rest of the month:
Byron Scott said he's more likely than not to keep the same starting lineup through the last few games of December.
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) December 26, 2015
The Lakers have three games remaining in this month, all of which are on the road. After that, they return home on New Years Day to host the Philadelphia 76ers. It could be that game where we see another change in the starting lineup.
Many will be expecting Russell and Randle to return to the starting lineup though nothing is guaranteed at this point. Both have put up the same, if not better, numbers since moving to the bench and Russell has spoken about the edge he has when coming off the bench as opposed to being a starter.
If the season continues the way it has gone, Scott will likely begin relying more on the young players than veterans. Russell, Randle, and Jordan Clarkson will surely lead the way, but Tarik Black, Anthony Brown, and Larry Nance Jr. will also likely play big roles as the year moves forward.
UPDATE (December 26, 2015 at 11:48 AM PST): According to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, Scott will not make any lineup changes until January:
It's official: Byron says no lineup changes until January. Randle, Russell will keep coming off the bench.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) December 26, 2015