After a promising start, the Los Angeles Lakers fell back to earth during their four-game road trip. The team faced the Suns, Cavaliers, Raptors, Pistons and Grizzlies, their lone win coming against Toronto by six points.
Despite LA’s frustrating losses, last night’s game against the Grizzlies was a tipping point of sorts. A second-half collapse led to the Lakers’ 131-114 loss. The team’s rough play clearly made headlines, but so did a controversial decision by head coach JJ Redick.
JJ Redick Explains Decision to Bench Lakers Starter
Redick Pulls D’Angelo Russell vs. Grizzlies
Redick sensed a necessary change as the Lakers trailed by 12 midway through the third quarter Wednesday. That change involved subbing out starting guard D’Angelo Russell for Gabe Vincent. It proved the end of Russell’s night, as he finished with 12 points (4/12 FG, 2/9 3PT, 2/2 FT), three assists, two steals and a rebound in 22 minutes—the fewest by any Lakers starter.
In his postgame press conference, Redick explained why Russell was moved to the bench in the second half.
“Level of compete. Attention to detail. Some of the things we’ve talked with him about a couple of weeks. At times he’s been really good, other times it’s just reverting to certain habits. It wasn’t like a punishment, but for us to have a chance to win this game, that was the route we wanted to take. Gabe in the first half, especially defensively, was fantastic. I just wanted to see what that looked like.”
Vincent, though effective as a point-of-attack defender, logged six points (2/8 FG, 1/6 3PT), one rebound and one assist in 23 minutes.
Is Russell’s Benching a Sign?
Russell has looked shaky to start his tenth NBA season. Across LA’s eight games, he has averaged 12 points, 5.8 assists and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 37% from the field and 29% from three. It may be too early to judge, but it’s also apparent that he has looked out of place with this year’s groups under Redick.
Speaking of Redick, he has clearly brought some fresh air into the Lakers culture, taking the team’s losing skid seriously—even ending last night’s press conference earlier than expected.
Not even 10 games into the season and JJ Redick is already storming out of postgame press conferences pic.twitter.com/WUsNg3KPY6
— Mark Jackson’s Burner (@casualtakeking) November 7, 2024
Russell’s benching and Redick’s explanation is a sign of true accountability under new leadership. It’s a departure from what Redick said over the summer—when he proclaimed Russell could have a “career year” this season—but, at the same time, being benched and held responsible for mistakes is a necessary step in that process.
The Lakers’ next few opponents are a mix of playoff-caliber and lottery-bound teams. Over the next week, they face the 76ers, Raptors, Grizzlies and the Spurs (as part of the Emirates NBA Cup). Several of those matchups feature strong facilitators in Tyrese Maxey, Ja Morant and Chris Paul—all of whom Russell is expected to guard (in Morant’s case, for the second time). Russell must use the recent demotion as fuel toward improvement. He has shown he can be a key part of the Lakers’ success. Now, it’s his time to prove it.
Starting Backcourt Change?
Redick did not deviate from his chosen starting lineup until injuries to Anthony Davis and Rui Hachimura forced his hand. There’s no indication he intends on splitting Russell and Reaves. However, he could make tougher calls to get the Lakers back on track.
However, it’s hard to make that change when the Lakers’ reserves are also underperforming. Vincent going from backup to starter doesn’t seem like the right answer, considering his own poor production. The team could shift Reaves to point guard instead of his natural shooting guard, but that would leave a hole that can’t be filled by Cam Reddish, Max Christie or Dalton Knecht, for example. The possibility of Russell being benched early for the second consecutive season wouldn’t sit right with fans or teammates, either, regardless of the fact they went 4-3 in those situations last year.
That leaves Russell and the rest of the Lakers forced to toughen up and face early adversity head-on. A significant shift in the starting five could still be in order, but it doesn’t make sense right now. Russell and the supporting cast must elevate their play to lift the Lakers above .500. The responsibility also falls on the shoulders of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, whose leadership off the court is just as important as their play on it.
