Five Lakers Who Will Have to Step Up in Dwight Howard’s Absence

Antawn Jamison will have more responsibility early on–something he’s accustomed to.

For Antawn Jamison, Howard’s injury will be beneficial, and could be a blessing in disguise for the Lakers. As the first option last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Jamison is expected to lead the Lakers’ reserves next season.

A versatile forward who can score (he averaged 17.1 points last season and averages 19.5 points on his career), the 36-year-old Jamison could possibly find himself in the starting lineup at the start of next season beside Pau Gasol.

If he does, it could be beneficial for the team as a whole, as Jamison would get ample time out on the court with the likes of Gasol, Metta World Peace, Kobe Bryant, and Steve Nash.

Similarly, he would develop a chemistry with those guys for situations when Howard is taken out of the game–say in the last couple minutes of a tight game where the other team decides to employ a “Hack-a-Dwight” strategy.

Additionally, Jamison would receive some sort of a transition from being the number one option last season, to being the number four option at the start of next season, and eventually settling in as the sixth man for the remainder of the season.

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