The sciatica injury for LeBron James forced JJ Redick to get creative with the deployment of the Los Angeles Lakers early in the new season. One of the key decisions the Lakers coach was left with had to do with how the starting lineup looks in the absence of James. Redick made his choice.
Lakers’ starters vs. Sacramento:
Luka Doncic
Gabe Vincent
Austin Reaves
Rui Hachimura
Deandre Ayton
JJ Redick said pregame that this is the group that will start on opening night vs. Golden State.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) October 18, 2025
Ahead of the opening night matchup against the Golden State Warriors, the second-year head coach decided Gabe Vincent would get the starting nod. There were plenty of options for Redick to choose from for the starting lineup. This was not on the radar for most.
Anyone that was concerned this would be a permanent fixture for the Lakers can rest easy. Redick hinted at the fact this was a decision made specifically for the matchup against the Warriors. The plan after that game does not necessarily involve continuing to use this starting group.
“I don’t know anything about who I’m going to be starting the rest of the season because, again, there are injuries and there’s things that happen throughout a year,” Redick told the media (h/t Daniel Starkand). “I have a pretty good idea who’s going to start Game 1. After that, I don’t know.”
Redick hints at flexible approach early as Lakers experiment with rotations
Redick added that Vincent would offer the starting group another player who can handle the ball and play tough defense. The fit was a good one in his eyes, but the Lakers coach reaffirmed that looking at every matchup individually would bring opportunity for more of these decisions.
When stepping back to look at the game against the Warriors, one would imagine Vincent was chosen with Stephen Curry in mind. The Lakers guard offers one of the better options on the perimeter to challenge the incredibly difficult cover that is the all-time great point guard.
Vincent also built a ton of confidence in him on the other end after his strong preseason for the Lakers. The veteran guard averaged 16.3 points, shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 55.6 percent from beyond the arc, while adding 3.0 assists per game to the mix.
Vincent has proven to be a streaky shooter in the past. Perhaps Redick wants to maximize his offensive output while the iron is still hot.
Not having Vincent as a part of the second unit does immediately raise question marks about how Redick will manage his stars minutes to ensure either Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves is there to captain some of those groups. Taking Vincent away from the bench does inevitably bring the downside of needing more leadership offensively when those minutes arrive.
Redick’s early gamble will be an intriguing one. If it does go bust, Los Angeles can find comfort in knowing the head coach sounds ready to adapt.
