Luke Walton Keeping Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tyson Chandler In Lakers Lineup Vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Matthew Moreno
2 Min Read
Rocky Widner-NBAE via Getty Images

After the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a deflating loss to the Cleveland cavaliers that included yet another slow start, head coach Luke Walton suggested a lineup change was on the horizon.

Looking to improve floor spacing and get a vocal, veteran presence on the court, Walton replaced Josh Hart and JaVale McGee with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Tyson Chandler, respectively. The Lakers didn’t solve all their woes, but were improved in the first quarter against the Chicago Bulls.

Following the win, Walton said he was pleased with the intensity his team played with from tipoff but was uncertain if the lineup changes would remain in effect.

Speaking after shootaround in Oklahoma City, he announced Caldwell-pope and Chandler will remain in the lineup, per Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group:

In his return to the starting lineup, Caldwell-Pope scored 17 points but connected on just one of his six attempts from behind the arc. Meanwhile, Chandler had 8 points and 3 rebounds in 26 minutes.

While the Lakers managed to hold the Bulls to just 18 points in the first quarter, it can be presumed that had more to do with quality of opponent than Walton’s lineup changes. The group figures to be tested by the Thunder, and if it remains in place Saturday, again by the Houston Rockets.

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Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers games, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com
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