With training camp for the Los Angeles Lakers set to get underway next week following Media Day on Monday, Sept. 30, there’s been much debate about who will be in new head coach JJ Redick’s starting lineup and what roles his players will have during the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season.
Unlike other head coaches in the league, Redick hasn’t made his starting lineup for opening night a secret. During a recent appearance on the Lowe Post podcast with Zach Lowe, the first-time head coach didn’t hesitate to reveal who will be his starters when the team takes on the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena on Oct. 22.
Redick will start his first season as a head coach in the NBA with D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis as his starting five for the Lakers. Redick’s reasoning for these starters is simple: He said this starting squad went 23-10 last season.
That logic seems sound because it clearly worked throughout the 2023-24 campaign, but there are still many questions surrounding some of these players, namely Russell and Hachimura.
During a press conference earlier this week, Redick was asked about Hachimura, his performance for Japan in the 2024 Olympics, and his vision for his role on this team moving forward.
“I thought Rui was fantastic, particularly in the lead-up and exhibition games going into the Olympics, and then also had a couple of really good games in the Olympics,” Redick said. “In terms of his role, I think that’s something that we will define with him, and we will also be open-minded to that evolving. Rob brought up the corner crashing because when he’s not posting up or not playing out of closeouts or not screening, Rui is an excellent shooter. We want him shooting corner 3s, so he’s already gonna be in the spot to corner crash. So we’re trying to ramp up his offensive rebounding, we’re gonna ask a lot of him defensively, particularly with bigger wings. I think if you look at some of the advanced stuff from last season when he gets the ball in the post against a mismatch, that’s a good option for us. When he’s attacking a closeout, that’s a good option. When he’s playing out of screening action as a roller and getting into the pocket, that’s great for us. So he’ll have a big role, and we’re gonna ask him to do a lot.”
It seems as though Redick envisions a big role for Hachimura during the upcoming season, and rightfully so. He’s a talented player who needs to be utilized better on the basketball court in Los Angeles.
It remains to be seen if Hachimura can live up to expectations heading into another season with the Lakers, but he’ll definitely have a chance to shine.
Rui Hachimura among Lakers players cleared for training camp
The Los Angeles Lakers won’t have Christian Wood or Jarred Vanderbilt available for training camp, which will get underway next week after Media Day, but they will have Rui Hachimura ready to go.
Hachimura suffered an injury while playing in the 2024 Olympics for Japan and appears good to go for training camp and the NBA preseason for the Lakers.
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