NBA 2018/19: Washington Wizards vs Los Angeles Lakers: Predicted Starting Lineups

The stuttering Washington Wizards will try to improve their standings and win percentage with a statement win against LeBron James's Los Angeles Lakers squad today at the Capital One Arena in Washington DC.

The Lakers are on a real run after having started off with a 2-5 record to the season. An increasingly kinder schedule combined with their ability to put away teams with lesser talent has served to vault them up the Western Conference standings from the basement up to their current 4th position.

The Wizards started off even worse at 1-7 and 2-9 before finding their collective groove, but the lack of their full squad for this game is definitely going to mark them out as extra vulnerable against King James.

How will these teams line up against each other? Read on to find out:

Wizards

Reeling with a whole host of injuries to key players and missing out on Ariza, Oubre and Austin Rivers, who were all involved in the Wizards' trade with the Suns, the Wizards' outlook for this game looks bleak.

Otto Porter Jr and Dwight Howard, who would've been starters if fit, will miss out because of injury troubles. The Wizards' 9-man rotation in their loss to the Nets comprised of large doses of Sam Dekker, but the 4th year swingman will probably not start against the Lakers. They'll probably keep the same lineup as against Brooklyn, which was:

PG - John Wall

SG - Bradley Beal

SF - Tomas Satoransky

PF - Jeff Green

C - Thomas Bryant

Sixth Man - Markieff Morris

Lakers

The Lakers will still be missing 3rd year swingman Brandon Ingram, who was playing as well as he did last season before going down to an ankle injury. They have enough wing depth, however, that Ingram's absence can be negated well enough.

Their starting lineup is likely to look as follows:

PG - Lonzo Ball

SG - Josh Hart

SF - LeBron James

PF - Kyle Kuzma

C - JaVale McGee

Their extremely deep bench strength has been compromised because of injuries to Ingram and Rondo, but the likes of Lance Stephenson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Tyson Chandler are more than good enough to hold up the collective slack. The Lakers themselves are breaking Mo Wagner and Svi Mikhailyuk into NBA life, so the rookie duo is likely to soak up significant minutes of their own.