Los Angeles Lakers: Three things to watch for in preseason opener
By Jason Reed
2. The battle for the starting center position
Who is going to start at center for the Los Angeles Lakers is still up in the air. On one hand, the Lakers have a former NBA Champion who really came into his own in the starting role last season in JaVale McGee, who also averaged two blocks per game.
On the other hand, the Lakers have a former All-Defensive player, Defensive Player of the Year and a future Hall of Famer in Dwight Howard who is past his prime and has been bouncing around from team to team.
Howard can definitely still fill up the stat sheets and get the job done but there is a question of whether or not his personality can gel with this team and if he can be a reliable asset for the team down the stretch.
In all reality, no matter who starts, McGee and Howard will likely split the playing time nearly 50/50, with each guy getting more or less playing time on a specific night based on how they are playing.
But it will still be interesting to watch the two veterans battle for that starting nod as it will only bring the best out of both of them and prove that the Lakers might just be a tad underrated at the center position this year.
If McGee plays like he did last year and Howard plays as he has in his last few full seasons then the Lakers might have the best center duo in the league.