After a disappointing 1-4 road trip, the Los Angeles Lakers returned home and made some big changes for Friday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers as head coach JJ Redick decided to start Cam Reddish over D’Angelo Russell.
The previous starting lineup had struggled defensively while the Lakers lacked a scoring punch off the bench, so Redick felt that change was necessary in order to get his team back on track. It definitely worked against the 76ers as the Lakers cruised to victory with both Russell and Reddish playing big roles in it.
Russell scored 18 points off the bench on an efficient 8-of-12 shooting and was able to operate with the ball in his hands more. Meanwhile, Reddish only took one shot in 28 minutes of action but finished with three points, five rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block while playing exceptional defense on Paul George.
After the Lakers’ win, Redick praised both Russell and Reddish for embracing and thriving in their new roles.
“I felt both those guys starred in the roles that they had tonight,” Redick said. “Cam took one shot in 27 minutes but had a huge impact on the game. Defensively, Paul George never got going at any point in the game. In the first half, I know we had three smash screen assists coming out of set plays, and I think Cam had two of them. That’s sacrifice, and it’s unselfishness. For DLo, I think he starred in that role as well. Big time pop for us off the bench and a really efficient night for him. He just played really good basketball, but I thought across the board for our group it was a group win.
“We had a very professional approach to the game. We had a very professional approach to the gameplan. Some attention to detail stuff. Our transition defense wasn’t perfect, but we had numerous possessions where the things that we wanted to see, and we emphasized in our meeting this afternoon, were either visible or you can hear it. There was an auditory component to it in terms of the talk and communication. Obviously, LeBron, AD, and AR were phenomenal, but in terms of the challenge of playing hard and the effort, and execution, it was the entire group. I thought Jaxson Hayes had a great game.
“The stats won’t jump out at you, but he was awesome tonight. Gabe Vincent was solid again. For us, it was a group win, and I was just happy for the group to connect again. Sometimes you can go out on the road and things don’t go your way, and it’s not that we’ve splintered. We haven’t done that at all. The group has been awesome, but sometimes you need to win. Sometimes you need to play well to feel that connection, and I thought the group had that tonight.”
Redick and Russell have had an open line of communication since the former got the L.A. job, which is why he isn’t surprised the latter was willing to move to the bench to help the team.
“Yeah, I’m not surprised that he approached the game in the way that he did and that he had the performance he had,” Redick said of Russell. “We’ve asked him to do things. He’s been accepting of the role. He has talked with me all the time. He has a really strong desire to win, and he has a really strong desire to be coached. And our communication level from June 20 to today has been nothing but open, honest and transparent.
“I would assume that it will continue to be. Even just coming to our meeting today, just a professional, great attitude and all the things that you would want. You see all the time in the league where guys can take that the wrong way, like it’s some sort of punishment and play the victim, and DLo didn’t do any of that. That’s part of the reason that he had the game that he had.”
Redick also made sure to emphasize that his starting lineup is fluid, so it will be interesting to see if he sticks with the same group moving forward or if more changes could be made.
D’Angelo Russell willing to move to bench to help Lakers win
D’Angelo Russell shared a similar sentiment after the game, expressing that he is willing to do whatever it takes to help the Lakers win.
“I just want to win. However it happened, however the conversation went and however the relationship, whatever it may be, I just try and be professional and be a part of winning. [It’s] as simple as that. I left all my baggage at the door this summer. Once we changed coaches and a new staff came in, I was committed to whatever it takes, so that’s just what y’all see now.”
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