Originally published by LakersNation.com
The Los Angeles Lakers have a clear hierarchy on the court with superstar guard Luka Doncic clearly being at the top of the pecking order while his backcourt partner Austin Reaves operating as the team’s secondary creator. And with two players who can score and create at such a high level, it would make sense to have at least one of them on the court at all times.
That is certainly the plan for the Lakers as head coach JJ Redick did praise the team’s other backcourt players in their ability to initiate offense before making it clear that he plans of staggering minutes for Doncic and Reaves.
“I think with Collin and Q and Bronny as he continues to develop, Jaden if he’s in the lineup, there’s guys that can handle and guys that can create and initiate offense,” Redick said after a recent Lakers practice. “My expectation probably at this point, cause we’ve obviously done some work on some substitution patterns. My expectation is that in general, those guys will stagger. We’ll have one of those guys on the court. That’s generally what teams do and that’s probably what we’ll do.”
As Redick said, this is what most teams do because it just makes the most sense. Players such as Collin Sexton and Quentin Grimes are undoubtedly able to create offense for themselves and others in spurts, but their skills will only be enhanced by sharing the court with Doncic or Reaves. To have both of your best players out at the same time is something Redick and the Lakers would prefer to avoid when possible.
Figuring out the rotations and best lineups for this team is one of the biggest challenges for Redick as he must learn which players work best with each other. He has been open about his desire to play more players overall and made it clear that everyone will get an opportunity at some point this season to contribute to the Lakers. But this team will still go as far as Doncic and Reaves take it so don’t expect many times where neither is on the court.
JJ Redick discusses competition for Lakers’ final two starting spots
Redick made it clear prior to training camp that the two starting spots alongside Doncic, Reaves and Walker Kessler are up for grabs in the preseason. But the head coach recently took some time to clarify what he expects from his players in terms of supporting each other, even while in competition, and throughout the season.
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The Los Angeles Lakers have a clear hierarchy on the court with superstar guard Luka Doncic clearly being at the top of the pecking order while his backcourt partner Austin Reaves operating as the team’s secondary creator. And with two players who can score and create at such a high level, it would make sense to have at least one of them on the court at all times.
That is certainly the plan for the Lakers as head coach JJ Redick did praise the team’s other backcourt players in their ability to initiate offense before making it clear that he plans of staggering minutes for Doncic and Reaves.
“I think with Collin and Q and Bronny as he continues to develop, Jaden if he’s in the lineup, there’s guys that can handle and guys that can create and initiate offense,” Redick said after a recent Lakers practice. “My expectation probably at this point, cause we’ve obviously done some work on some substitution patterns. My expectation is that in general, those guys will stagger. We’ll have one of those guys on the court. That’s generally what teams do and that’s probably what we’ll do.”
As Redick said, this is what most teams do because it just makes the most sense. Players such as Collin Sexton and Quentin Grimes are undoubtedly able to create offense for themselves and others in spurts, but their skills will only be enhanced by sharing the court with Doncic or Reaves. To have both of your best players out at the same time is something Redick and the Lakers would prefer to avoid when possible.
Figuring out the rotations and best lineups for this team is one of the biggest challenges for Redick as he must learn which players work best with each other. He has been open about his desire to play more players overall and made it clear that everyone will get an opportunity at some point this season to contribute to the Lakers. But this team will still go as far as Doncic and Reaves take it so don’t expect many times where neither is on the court.
JJ Redick discusses competition for Lakers’ final two starting spots
Redick made it clear prior to training camp that the two starting spots alongside Doncic, Reaves and Walker Kessler are up for grabs in the preseason. But the head coach recently took some time to clarify what he expects from his players in terms of supporting each other, even while in competition, and throughout the season.
If you love our reporting, choose LakersNation.com as a preferred source on Google.
