The Los Angeles Lakers will open training camp with two starting positions available. Coach JJ Redick does not expect the winners to keep them all season.
During an appearance on ESPN Los Angeles, Redick offered his clearest explanation yet of how he intends to manage a remade roster built around Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler.
“Whatever the starting lineup on opening night is, and whoever sort of earns those two starting spots, I can guarantee you that we’re going to start different lineups throughout the season,” Redick said. “That is the modern NBA.”
Redick jokingly predicted the Lakers could use “50 different starting lineups,” underscoring that opening night will represent a beginning rather than a binding decision.
Lakers Have Three Confirmed Starters
Doncic, Reaves and Kessler are expected to occupy three starting positions. That leaves a crowded group of wings and forwards competing for the final two spots.
Redick previously turned the competition into a viral talking point when he said the other two starters “will not be two White guys”, a joking remark that appeared to rule out starting Jake LaRavia and Sandro Mamukelashvili together.
Quentin Grimes should receive a long look after joining the Lakers’ younger core. Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle offer the size and point-of-attack defense needed alongside Doncic and Reaves. LaRavia and Mamukelashvili provide shooting and offensive versatility, while Adou Thiero’s recent development has impressed Redick.
The evaluation will extend beyond which players produce the best individual numbers during the preseason.
“What we’re looking for is consistency and fit around Luka, AR and Walker,” Redick said.
Los Angeles needs dependable 3-point shooting around Doncic’s playmaking and Kessler’s interior presence. The other starters must also cover difficult defensive assignments, attack rotating defenses and keep the ball moving when Doncic gives it up.
Redick specifically cited players who can “make plays off the dribble” and contribute as cutters, shooters and secondary creators.
That description appears to favor versatile two-way wings over another ball-dominant scorer.
Matchups Will Shape JJ Redick’s Lineups
Redick’s approach means the fifth starter could change according to the opponent. Thybulle might be useful against an elite perimeter scorer, while Mamukelashvili could open the floor against a larger frontcourt. Williams and LaRavia offer different combinations of length, shooting and mobility.
The rotation behind the starters will also remain fluid.
Redick said Kevon Looney will handle minutes as a traditional backup center, but Mamukelashvili will also play at the five. That alignment would allow the Lakers to space the floor and play faster, although it would sacrifice some of the rim protection Kessler supplies.
“I hate positions,” Redick recalled telling Mamukelashvili during the team’s free-agency pitch. “I view you as a basketball player.”
That philosophy will shape more than one positional battle. Redick wants enough depth to reduce the workloads carried by the Lakers’ primary players and enough flexibility to change the team’s appearance from one opponent to the next.
Winning a starting job in camp will still matter. Keeping it, however, will depend on performance, health and matchup.
The Lakers may name five starters for opening night. Redick has already made clear they should not be mistaken for a permanent lineup.
JJ Redick Reveals New Lakers Lineup Plan After Viral ‘Two White Guys’ Remark