Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick has had to toy with the starting lineup for most of the 2024-25 season. Some of it was due to injury with players like Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves missing some time. But it was also to get different looks — like the shooting of Dalton Knecht or the defense of Gabe Vincent — to begin games.
Vincent as a starter is something that Redick has turned to only twice so far this season. The first came in a win over the Utah Jazz and the second came after back-to-back embarrassing blowouts in their game against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. The Lakers lost, but remained competitive throughout, and Vincent was a plus-4 in his 34 minutes of action.
It’s unclear if Vincent is going to be a regular part of the starting lineup moving forward, but there are definitely things that Redick likes about having him with that group, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“I think the biggest thing is just his defensive toughness and he I think has played aggressive throughout this season, it’s not like he’s passing stuff up. He’s just not as invplved when he’s like the third ball-handler, if that makes sense. Versus the first or second ball-handler. I’m certainly comfortable putting Gabe out there on the court.”
The Lakers have been in desperate need of anyone who can bring physicality and toughness on the defensive end. They have been one of the worst defenses in the league this season and, at times, have looked almost disinterested on that end of the floor.
But Vincent does bring another dimension of effort on defense, and Redick recognizes that it may be important for him to get a couple games as a starter to infuse some life on the defensive side. It will be interesting to see if Redick keeps that configuration when the Lakers play the Portland Trail Blazers next.
JJ Redick frustrated by Lakers’ late-game execution
The Lakers kept it close the entire way through, but ultimately suffered their third straight loss on Friday night against the Atlanta Hawks and are now 2-7 in their last nine contests. After imploring his team to take accountability with two embarrassing losses, JJ Redick saw a different and more competitive team.
However, the red-hot Hawks were simply too much for the Lakers down the stretch, beating them with late-game execution to grab the win in overtime, their sixth victory in a row. LeBron James and Anthony Davis were both phenomenal in the loss, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Trae Young and the Hawks’ clutch shot-making.
When asked about comparisons between this game and an earlier loss to the Orlando Magic, Redick spoke about the issues that are plaguing the Lakers in close games late.
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Los Angeles Lakers(96) - Minnesota Timberwolves(103)
