After navigating two wild seasons of trades, a slew of injuries, and rosters that frankly weren’t always working for him, JJ Redick is staring down his biggest challenge yet with the Lakers: pulling a bunch of new faces into a winning unit. This offseason was HUGE because it finally gave us a chance to build a team around Luka Dončić, and more importantly, a team built to Redick’s actual liking. This isn’t just another version of the Lakers; this is *the* version he’s supposedly been waiting for.
Redick’s Real Test Begins Now
Let’s be real, Redick has had his mistakes and flaws over the last two years, but anyone saying he hasn’t been great overall is just wrong. This guy racked up 103 regular season wins in his first two seasons, including back-to-back 50-win campaigns, despite all that chaos he had to handle! And don’t forget that improbable playoff series win. That record under those wild circumstances? It’s pretty incredible. But now? This is different. This team is clearly built around Redick’s philosophy, prioritizing offense this summer, and it just screams his vision. It’s not a make-or-break year for him, no way, but this season could absolutely be his defining moment. We’re about to see a stress test of everything he believes in.
Nine-Man Rotation Incoming?
So, what does this new-look squad actually mean for the rotation? Everyone’s asking about Redick overplaying his starters or if we’ll see an eight or nine-man lineup. We’ve got way more depth this season, plus some young players who need serious minutes to develop. The front office is still cooking, too, because we’re expecting one more move to bring in a perimeter player who can step right into the starting five. Right now, the starting lineup looks like Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, that player to be traded for, and Walker Kessler. Redick’s definitely leaning towards a nine-man rotation. Guys like Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelashvili are locked into minutes, no question. If I had to guess for those other two rotation spots before preseason kicks off, I’d say Jake LaRavia and Matisse Thybulle are the guys.
This is Redick’s real chance to show what a team built exactly how he wants it can do. Everything’s set for him, and with that offensive focus and Luka leading the charge, it’s going to be wild to watch how he molds this squad into a championship contender.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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