Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick made a starting lineup switch after eight games of the 2024-25 season, plugging in Cam Reddish next to Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves instead of D’Angelo Russell. The former starter reacted well to the news and played well off the bench, understanding that the Lakers needed the defensive pop.
It’s a small sample size, but through the Lakers’ first eight games, they ranked No. 28 in the NBA in defensive rating at 118.8. That was just 1.1 points away from being the worst defense in all of basketball.