JJ Redick and the Los Angeles Lakers are set to face the Phoenix Suns for their preseason opener at the Acrisure Arena tonight. Although the fans will be excited to see the new-look Lakers in action, the Purple and Gold will be seeing some absences from the rotation.
Redick provided an update on the matter in a recent interview when he was asked about the players who would certainly be out of the rotation. He responded, “Maxi won’t. Marcus won’t. LeBron, Adou… Yeah, that’s probably it for now. That could change, obviously.”
The aforementioned players have been mentioned in the team’s injury report as of late. Lakers rookie Adou Thiero has been sidelined with a pre-existing knee injury for an extended period of time. Having missed out on Summer League action, fans and media are yet to see the young forward in action for the Purple and Gold.
Offseason signing Marcus Smart has also been mentioned in the report. Smart is expected to be a key factor in the Lakers’ rotation this season. Although the guard has been focused on conditioning this summer, he hasn’t participated in training camp as he recovers from earlier injuries.
Another key rotation player who is expected to be out of the rotation is LeBron James. At 40, the Lakers will be taking a cautious approach towards the superstar. Given that he was experiencing some nerve irritation in his glute before training camp, the forward has primarily focused on individual work thus far.
A more recent addition to the injury report was Lakers big man Maxi Kleber. Kleber reportedly tweaked his quad during practice recently. Although Redick mentioned that the injury didn’t seem severe, he added that they would be getting an MRI to be certain.
Given that it’s only preseason, the Lakers will be judicious with their rotation. But as they ramp up toward the regular season, Los Angeles will need its key players at full strength.
JJ Redick Reveals Minutes Restriction Plans
Aside from providing an update on the injuries, JJ Redick also revealed that Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves would be on a minutes restriction for the game against the Suns. He stated:
“Just want to be sensitive to guys who have had a higher workload in camp, like Austin. In terms of measurements, he’s had the highest workload in camp. I would say after today it’s going to be the highest for all three days… Want to be sensitive to Luka coming off EuroBasket. So there’s a lot of stuff we have not discussed…but we’re going to be sensitive to the long game.”
Redick’s plans for the preseason will involve implementing high-intensity performance in short bursts, which will likely result in frequent substitutions and a deep rotation. In this regard, ensuring that Reaves and Doncic assert themselves without burning out early on will be a priority.
JJ Redick’s emphasis on getting into championship shape this season has been implemented in practice, garnering interesting reactions from the players. But as the team prepares for a title push, only time will tell whether this is the appropriate approach or not.
