Lakers' JJ Redick explains why D'Angelo Russell is coming off bench

11/08/2024 11:17 PM

After losing three of their past four games by double-digits, the Los Angeles Lakers felt as though it was time to make a change to the starting lineup. The Lakers decided to demote D’Angelo Russell to the second unit following his benching to end the Lakers’ 131-114 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night, with head coach JJ Redick opting to start Cam Reddish in his place.

This change means that Russell can commandeer the second-unit offense when LeBron James and Anthony Davis need a breather, and it means more ballhandling and shot-creation reps for Austin Reaves — with Reaves now functioning as the Lakers’ nominal point guard.

Redick explained the change by saying that he thinks the Lakers are getting more balance in the starting unit with Reddish in Russell’s place, as per Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet. Reddish, the Lakers’ head coach believes, brings more of a defensive presence into the starting lineup while giving the bench some more offensive juice — especially after backup point guard Gabe Vincent scored a grand total of six points over their past two games.

Russell’s second stint with the Lakers has been a topsy-turvy ride; he came in and was immediately a better fit on the Lakers’ starting lineup back in February 2023, but his stock has been falling since. He has had two subpar postseason showings for the Purple and Gold, and he may not be a Laker anymore had it not been for his hot streak towards the latter half of the 2023-24 campaign.

With the Lakers losing some steam after an incredible 3-0 start over quality opponents, Redick felt as though it was time to shake things up instead of letting the rot that has been plaguing them over the past four games fester any further. Only time will tell how Russell will respond to this demotion, but on paper, this move does make a ton of sense.

Lakers look for more defensive rigidity

It’s safe to say that the Lakers’ defense over the past four games has not been the best. There have been plenty of lapses from them, particularly in tracking off the ball, with D’Angelo Russell being one of the biggest culprits in this regard.

Russell had a terrible stretch against the Grizzlies that has now led to his demotion to the bench. He barfed up bad shots on consecutive possessions, and as the cherry on top of the crap cake, he was also responsible for a defensive breakdown that led to a wide-open dunk for Memphis. JJ Redick was clearly displeased, and he’s showing it with how he’s handling Russell’s minutes — regardless of how hard he’s trying to protect D-Lo from media scrutiny.

Cam Reddish is at least a more lengthy, rangy, and athletic defender than Russell, helping the Lakers cover more ground while giving them someone to throw at the opposition’s best perimeter player — shielding Austin Reaves and LeBron James from that responsibility. But after a few disappointing years, can Reddish somehow emerge as the missing piece this Lakers team is looking for?

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