Former Lakers coach Darvin Ham often made puzzling choices, especially by not putting his five best players on the court together. He was also secretive about the starting lineup before every new season.
However, under new head coach JJ Redick, things seem to be changing for the better, and many in the NBA community are excited about his decisions.
In a recent interview on ESPN’s “The Lowe Post” podcast, JJ Redick announced that he will stick with the Lakers’ most successful five-man lineup from last season: Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and D’Angelo Russell. He plans to start this same group for the upcoming season.
The first half of the last season ended with a 21-22 record because former coach Darvin Ham struggled to start his top players. He did not start LeBron, AD, D’Angelo, Austin, and Rui together until their victory against the Portland Trail Blazers.
However, Redick doesn’t plan to make the same mistake and will use the Lakers’ best lineup effectively. Even he has a better plan to use LeBron James properly.
JJ Redick’s specific strategy for LeBron James
JJ Redick talked about what he has planned for LeBron James this year. Redick wants to get the most out of the outstanding while he is still at the top of his game. Starting Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell together will make it easier for James to handle the ball.
Now that LeBron is 40, it’s important to keep him healthy and energized, which may mean making some sacrifices. Redick wants to find new ways to help James do better.
Redick said, “I think when people hear that in regards to LeBron playing off the ball, it doesn’t mean he’s not gonna have the ball. LeBron is one of the smartest players and I think using him as a screener and finding ways to get him the ball in specific spots on the floor where he can be a facilitator and scorer, that’s what I mean by being off the ball”
