JJ Redick expects rotation to be ‘very fluid,’ match-up based this season
Since taking over as Lakers coach, JJ Redick has made it clear that he envisions a nine-man rotation, but in an 82-game season, things are always subject to change.
As a first-year coach, JJ Redick has been a breath of fresh air compared to people who previously held that position.
He revealed his starting five on a podcast weeks before he had to and talked about his vision of a nine-man rotation during the early parts of training camp.
Before the start of the season's first game, Redick clarified that a nine-player rotation would be subject to change based on the circumstances of each game.
"I would say it's very fluid," Redick said before the matchup against the Wolves. "And that's not to say that a nine- or 10-man rotation will be set in stone game to game or week to week and who is in that nine or 10-man rotation? I'm well aware that guys are going miss games sometimes. We feel like we have, if it ends up being nine or 10, we have a couple of guys that are ready to step in and fill in into spots in the rotation. It's also matchup-based, to be honest with you, whether or not we do nine- or 10-man rotation."
This was always going to be the case for the Lakers.
Every NBA coach has an ideal plan, but it will, of course, change based on player availability, performance and matchups.
While Redick did say he envisioned that nine-man rotation, I always considered those remarks to be an ideal situation for him rather than a solid, unmovable circumstance.
For those who did take those words as law, it's good that Redick has clarified the situation.
In their home opener, the Lakers went ten players deep, largely because they played Bronny James to ensure they got that father-son moment and made NBA history.
Bronny played just three minutes in the second quarter and was done for the night.
Minus Bronny, Redick went nine deep, but even now, the team is not fully healthy. Christian Wood is currently recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and Jarred Vanderbilt is out due to surgery he had on his foot during the offseason.
One can assume Vanderbilt will be part of the rotation when available. His defensive ability on the wing makes him a must-play guy.
And what about Wood? The Lakers currently have only one backup big, Jaxson Hayes. Will Wood be fighting for Hayes' minutes, or will both be used as options to present two big looks with Anthony Davis?
Once they are available to play, we will know what Redick thinks about those players and their place in this team's hierarchy.
Three players we do know are on the outside looking in at playing time are Maxwell Lewis, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Cam Reddish.
Lewis and Hood-Schifino getting no run makes sense because they are young and didn't necessarily impress in their preseason action. With the Lakers in the middle of a tough contest and winning on Tuesday, there was no opportunity for them to participate in this opening game.
Reddish, on the other hand, is intriguing. He has value as a defender and if other players struggle to make an impact, I could see him getting a shift or two in games based on matchups, as Redick has said.
In the meantime, Redick's nine looked good, so if they maintain this quality of play, we'll likely see the same group during this early part of the season.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.