The Los Angeles Lakers are gearing up for the 2024-25 NBA season and head coach JJ Redick has shared how the team’s rotation could look. Surprisingly, Redick did not include rookie Bronny James in the potential rotation of the team.
However, the former player didn’t give a deep dive into how the rotation would look and how he’d incorporate the younger James.
James was picked by the team with their 55th pick last June. There’s been speculation among fans and experts on how the rookie will earn his playing time with the team. Since he’s a second-round pick, there’s no guarantee he’ll have a fixed spot in the rotation in his first year.
According to Redick, the team will have a nine-man rotation involving D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis as the starters. The coach mentioned Gabe Vincent, Max Christie, and Jalen Hood-Schifino as the potential backcourt backups.
Cam Reddish, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Jaxson Hayes are the options that he has for the frontcourt players for the second unit. Redick didn’t mention any of the rookies, even Dalton Knecht, the team’s 17th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Redick shared that there might be competition among the players for minutes as he and the entire coaching staff figure it out during the rest of the season. Los Angeles looks to explore how the new head coach’s rotation will be different from their previous coach, Darvin Ham.
Lakers head coach will stay away from social media during his tenure
There’s a lot at stake for the Lakers and Redick for this season. The organization still wants to compete for the title with the same group of guys and their new head coach has to prove that he has what it takes to lead a team. Because of that, the former Duke Blue Devils star is focused on doing his coaching job only.
During an interview with Dan Woike of the “Los Angeles Times” before training camp started, Redick shared that social media is off-limits for him while he coaches.
“You will not see me tweet or post anything on IG,” Redick said.
“We talked as a staff this weekend about efficiency. Everything I do has to be efficient. Spending time on Twitter is not an efficient use of my time as a head coach.”
Before he was hired as a head coach, Redick was an active social media user. Often, he’d respond or post something on X (formerly Twitter). He also used his Instagram account to promote his podcast, “The Old Man and The Three.”
But the coach has decided to remain focused on his new job as the Lakers’ new leader.