Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick made the decision to move Dalton Knecht back to the bench with the team at close to full strength despite his strong production in the starting lineup. Redick returned to the lineup of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Cam Reddish, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura with the latter returning from a short injury stint.
Knecht’s four-game stint as a starter was incredible. He averaged 23.8 points and 4.8 rebounds on 60.3% from the field and an absurd 57.6% from beyond the arc. But in the two games since Knecht has been back on the bench, he has scored a combined 16 points on 2-for-8 from beyond the arc. The Lakers were blown out in both games.
These are obviously incredibly small sample sizes, but Knecht does seem to have a greater impact when he is in the starting lineup. That is something that Redick is also noticing and may need to address in short order, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“Maybe there is something to the flow that he can get to and the rhythm he can get to as a starter. … Everything is always up for discussion. … We’ll look at everything.”
Despite Redick saying he wants continuity from last season, he has not been shy about making changes to the starting lineup when he feels it’s necessary. He was quick to remove D’Angelo Russell in favor of Reddish given the team’s defensive woes.
Part of creating a rotation in the NBA is not just about ensuring that a team always has a good lineup, it is also finding the best combinations to maximize player skillsets. Knecht’s 3-point shooting fits far better next to James and Davis — when they can take attention away from defenses — than it does next to players like Russell and Jaxson Hayes.
Redick is going to have to balance all of these things together when he decides whether or not to make another lineup switch.
JJ Redick praises Cam Reddish
If Dalton Knecht is going to move into the starting lineup, someone healthy will have to be moved out. The two likely options are Cam Reddish and Rui Hachimura, with the former seeming to be the most likely given that he is the newest addition to the lineup.
But JJ Redick recently praised Reddish for his willingness to do the dirty work for the Lakers, and that’s something L.A. might desperately need if they are going to turn things around defensively.
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