Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick has unveiled the team’s starting lineup for the upcoming season, featuring the iconic NBA superstar LeBron James at the helm.
Redick has been transparent with his players from the start, building trust and clarity regarding each player’s role. There has been a lot of speculation about who will start the season for the Lakers, including Bronny James, LeBron’s son.
In an appearance on ESPN’s Lowe Post podcast with Zach Lowe, Redick confirmed he will keep the same lineup to start the season: “Yes, it’ll be the starting five that went 23-10 last year.” D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Anthony Davis will make up the Lakers’ starting five. Redick emphasized the importance of maintaining continuity and playing to each player’s strengths.
“It’s funny because I think when people hear about LeBron playing off the ball, they think it means he won’t have the ball at all. LeBron is one of the smartest players, and using him as a screener and finding ways to get him the ball in specific spots on the floor where he can facilitate and score, that’s what I mean by being off the ball. I don’t mean LeBron is going to walk the ball up, face ball pressure at 94 feet, and run a high pick-and-roll every time. That’s not how we’re going to play. Redick said.
In terms of what the offense will look like, there will be a decent amount of movement. The shot profile will hopefully improve. We’ve discussed ways to get more paint touches, shoot more 3s, and manage midrange shots, whether in the post or isolation. But hopefully, the shot profile will improve. One of the margins this team created last year—and historically with this group—has been free throws. Beyond that, there hasn’t been much margin creation, so we’re going to try to create more. One focus will be offensive rebounding and corner crashes. I’m not comparing this to a previous coach or system, but these are some of the things that will reflect my coaching style,” Redick added.
What did Redick say about Bronny James?
Lakers coach JJ Redick also took the opportunity to speak about LeBron’s son, Bronny: “I see Bronny as a young player with immense potential. He’s the first player we get to mold and develop within our system. We’re going to use the G League as a key tool in our player development. As for the LeBron-Bronny dynamic, we’ve discussed it, we’ve thought it through, and it’s going to happen—sooner rather than later.”
What will the Lakers’ bench rotation be like?
The Lakers’ bench rotation will feature Gabe Vincent, Max Christie, Cam Reddish, Dalton Knecht, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Jaxson Hayes. However, Vanderbilt might not be ready to start the season due to injury, which could affect the rotation.