After the Lakers gave up a 13 point fourth quarter lead to the Celtics, this after mounting a huge comeback to overcome a 20-point deficit, coach Darvin Ham noted that one problem the team has is falling behind early. Stop doing that, and you don't need to expend the energy for furious comebacks, and maybe it'll be easier to hold leads late.

Fair enough! And if that's the case, one way to solve the problem is change who starts, because the Lakers are consistently a terrible first quarter team. One of the NBA's worst. And a big issue there is Patrick Beverley. While the vet has been a positive defensively when put in the right situations, he's been a disaster on the other end, and it's dragging the team down. Especially if Ham wants to keep Dennis Schroder in the starting lineup as well. The data shows the two of them are a tragic combo for the Lakers. (Things get even worse when Ham uses three small-guard lineups, that might add Russell Westbrook or Kendrick Nunn.)

Is it all his fault? No, but it doesn't matter if Pat Bev is to some degree a victim of roster construction, he just isn't working as a starter. And the Lakers don't have the luxury at this point of letting different lineups round into form.

Big picture, Ham simply can't afford to keep trying lineups that have proven ineffective, even if that means sitting players that are supposed to be a big part of the rotation, or are leaders in the locker room. Staring at a brutal schedule through the end of the month, the team can't afford to lose more ground in the West, or ask LeBron and Anthony Davis to do even more work to compensate.

Ham's dilemma regarding Beverley does reflect the challenge he faces in balancing an unbalanced roster. Would one trade, even if not for a star (think Bojan Bogdanovic, Kyle Kuzma, etc.) rebalance things enough to make this team a player in the spring?)

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Get Pat Bev out of the starting lineup, Darvin!

SEGMENT 2: And while you're at it, here are a few more lineups to avoid.

SEGMENT 3: What about a trade? Could the addition of one good supporting player turn the team around, not just by adding talent, but by rebalancing the rotation?

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