The Los Angeles Lakers knew they needed to make some type of change after losing three consecutive games, two of them in blowout fashion to other Western Conference contenders. Head coach JJ Redick’s opted-for change was to bring Dalton Knecht back to the starting lineup instead of Cam Reddish against the San Antonio Spurs.
This move was effectively an announcement that the Lakers are going to lean fully into an offense-first identity instead of trying to mold their team into a defense-first one. And Knecht responded immediately. He finished with a team-high 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds on an efficient 8-for-15 shooting night.