Fans of the Los Angeles Lakers are looking forward towards how new head coach JJ Redick can make the most out of the talent he has at his disposal. The Lakers are going to enter the 2024-25 season with nearly the same roster that they ended last postseason with, so it's up to Redick now how to improve upon former coach Darvin Ham's results with the squad.
While tactical decisions are a bit more complex to dive into (the Lakers could improve starting with running more organized offense throughout the game, for starters), Redick's rotation decisions will be simpler to dissect. What the Lakers try to do on the court can be inferred from who gets the lion's share of minutes alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and it seems as though the gears are already turning in Redick's brain as to who starts the season getting some healthy playing time.
Redick has already named the Lakers' starting five for the upcoming season (James, Davis, D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura). He said, as per Jovan Buha of The Athletic, that he plans to roll with a nine-man rotation, with four of Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jaxson Hayes, Max Christie, Cam Reddish and Jalen Hood-Schifino vying for a rotation spot.
Redick also mentioned that he was “likely forgetting a player”; that player is likely to be Dalton Knecht, the sharpshooter out of Tennessee whom many believe the Lakers got as a draft-night steal.
With training camp upon us, the Lakers' position battles are only heating up. At the very least, Redick is allowing the situation to play itself out instead of already penciling in his rotation.
Who will crack the Lakers' rotation under JJ Redick?
It's safe to say that Jarred Vanderbilt is a lock for the rotation when healthy, although it's not quite clear if he'll be ready to start the season. Vanderbilt is a stifling defensive player and a very capable rebounder. His energy is boundless, and the Lakers will need his contributions. Jaxson Hayes may also be a shoo-in for the rotation, but only because the Lakers don't have much frontcourt depth amid Christian Wood's injury.
The Lakers don't necessarily need a backup point guard in the rotation in Gabe Vincent; they can stagger the minutes of Russell, Reaves, and James to make sure that they have a play initiator on the court at all times. But given the money they have invested in Vincent, they might give him a go to start the year. He has plenty of experience playing for a winning team, and as a 3-and-D point guard, he is an easy fit alongside more ball-dominant players.
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However, with Jalen Hood-Schifino reportedly impressing JJ Redick and the Lakers, he could end up earning a rotation spot, as long as he continues his good run of form during training camp and preseason. Hood-Schifino did not make any impact whatsoever during his rookie campaign, but he's only 21 years of age, so there is plenty of time for him to get better. Perhaps this is his year.
Max Christie could be in line for the final rotation spot alongside Vanderbilt, Hayes, and Hood-Schifino. He earned a new four-year, $32 million deal this past offseason, and the Lakers have high hopes for him. They have invested considerable resources in keeping him, which makes him a player of much more importance than Cam Reddish, who is on an expiring minimum deal.
If Vanderbilt is not ready to begin the year, perhaps Reddish or Dalton Knecht could crack the rotation.
