The Los Angeles Lakers decided it was time to switch up their starting lineup after dropping three of their last four games by double digits. After D’Angelo Russell was benched to close the Lakers’ 131-114 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night, head coach JJ Redick chose to start Cam Reddish in his place and demote Russell to the second unit.
Austin Reaves, who is now the Lakers’ nominal point guard, will get more ballhandling and shot-creation practice as a result of this move, and Russell will be able to take over the second-unit offense when LeBron James and Anthony Davis need a break.
According to Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet, Redick gave an explanation for the move, stating that he believes the Lakers are getting more balance in the starting lineup with Reddish replacing Russell. The Lakers’ head coach thinks Reddish gives the bench more offensive energy while adding more defensive presence to the starting lineup, particularly after backup point guard Gabe Vincent scored six points in their last two games.
Redick believed it was necessary to switch things up rather than allow the rot that has been afflicting the Lakers over the last four games to develop any further, since they were losing steam after an amazing 3-0 start against top-tier opponents. Although Russell’s reaction to this demotion is still unknown, it does make a lot of sense on paper.
The Lakers seek greater defensive rigor.
The Lakers haven’t played the best defense in the last four games, it’s safe to say. They have made several mistakes, especially when it comes to tracking off the ball, and D’Angelo Russell is one of the main offenders.
Russell was demoted to the bench as a result of his awful performance against the Grizzlies. He missed foul shots on back-to-back plays, and to top it all off, he was held accountable for a defensive lapse that gave Memphis a wide-open slam. Despite his best efforts to shield D-Lo from media attention, JJ Redick was obviously unhappy, and it shows in the way he is handling Russell’s minutes.
At the very least, Cam Reddish is a longer, rangier, and more athletic defender than Russell. He helps the Lakers cover more ground and gives them someone to throw at the best perimeter player on the other team, relieving LeBron James and Austin Reaves of that duty. Can Reddish, however, somehow become the missing component this Lakers squad is searching for after a few unsuccessful years?
