Lakers News: JJ Redick Already Changing Up LA's Rotation Amid Sluggish Performance

Jeremy Hanna | 6 Hours Ago

Oct 28, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick with forward LeBron James (23) against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After a disappointing loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Los Angeles Lakers are off to a 4-4 start this NBA season.

This is clearly far from ideal for a franchise that has incredibly high standards, and it looks like head coach JJ Redick recognizes that.

As the Lakers went to take on the Grizzlies, guard Max Christie was demoted in favor of Cam Reddish. While this confused most fans, Reddish quickly proved the doubters wrong.

Even though Los Angeles lost to Memphis 131-114, Reddish had an outstanding performance. He went five-for-seven on field goals and two-for-two on 3-point attempts, resulting in 15 points. On top of that, he recorded six total rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

While this wasn't enough for the win, it showed that Reddish has what it takes to keep up with star players like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Austin Reaves.

Meanwhile, Christie hasn't been as impressive this season, averaging 4.1 points, 2.1 total rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.5 steals across eight games. Compare this to Reddish, who is averaging five points, four total rebounds, 0.7 assists, and one steal across three games.

Given that Reddish has a lot mroe experience, it seems that Christie just needs a little bit more time to develop, something his team is more than willing to help with.

“I just find ways to make the game easier for our younger guys, try to simplify it, help them think less, help them be in a position where they can be the best in,” D'angelo Russel said, per Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times.

“For me, I know Max is a confidence guy, so trying to instill confidence in him and keep him there no matter how the storm goes and adversity. Just keep that confidence high, you’ll be all right.”

There have been glimpses of Christie being an excellent contributor to the team. Against the Grizzlies, Christe recorded eight points, three total rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 19 minutes played.

This made him arguably more effective than starting rookie guard Dalton Knecht, who recorded three points, four total rebounds, two assists, and one steal in about 27 minutes played.

In the end, it looks like the Lakers may need to make more roster rotations and further develop their players down the line if they really want to be competitive this season.

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