JJ Redick Tries Gabe Vincent in the Lakers’ Starting Five
In the last scrimmage before the start of the regular season, Lakers coach JJ Redick opted for Gabe Vincent in the starting lineup to replace the absence of LeBron James, who is injured. Vincent, after a standout preseason, scored 14 points with an efficiency of 5 out of 6 shots (4 out of 5 in three-pointers). Despite his good performance, the Lakers fell to the Sacramento Kings with a score of 117-116, closing the preseason with a record of 1-5. The regular season will begin on Tuesday night, with the Lakers facing the Golden State Warriors. Although the decision on Vincent has already been made, the team still has several aspects to resolve in the coming days.The coaching staff informed Vincent about his inclusion in the starting five on Friday morning. Vincent stood out in the preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks, where he scored 18 points in the first four minutes, with an impressive 5-of-5 three-point shooting.“We have two more practices, so we need to improve some aspects,” commented Luka Doncic, who led the game with 31 points and 9 assists in 33 minutes.
Luka Doncic
LeBron James is expected to return to the lineup in mid-November, as he recovers from sciatica affecting the right side of his body. Although Vincent will be on the court alongside Doncic, Reaves, Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura at the start of the 2025-26 season, Redick clarified that the current starters are not permanent.“I think I just bring what I’ve been doing since I got here,” Vincent said about his adaptation to the starting lineup. “Defending, trying to defend at a high level. Playmaking when I have opportunities, spacing the floor while Luka and Austin Reaves create their own plays.”
Gabe Vincent
Redick has downplayed the significance of his decision regarding the starting lineup during training camp, noting that he used 25 different starting lineups last season. Redick’s team showed concern about their defense, after allowing 59 points in the second half to the Kings, who had a 54.7% shooting efficiency and a 44.8% from the three-point line.“I don’t know who the starters will be for the rest of the season because, again, there are injuries and things that happen throughout the year,” Redick explained. “I have a pretty clear idea of who will start the first game, but after that, I don’t know. But I do believe that in that lineup there’s a lot of shooting around Luka and DA, and Gabe is another ball handler, another tough defender.”
JJ Redick
“I think we were more physical in training,” Doncic said. “We need to work on our aggressiveness.”
Luka Doncic
The Lakers were without Jaxson Hayes, one of their most physical defenders, in the second half of Friday’s game. Hayes left the game due to a contusion on his right wrist after a dunk in the first quarter. Redick reported that Hayes’ X-rays were negative and that there will be more updates on Sunday, during practice.
Marcus Smart, former Defensive Player of the Year, who scored 14 points and stole four balls off the bench against Sacramento, promised to bring aggressiveness to the team.
