The Los Angeles Lakers are in full-scale meltdown mode. After a red-hot start where they looked like clutch kings, the team has hit a massive wall in December. The roster seems disjointed, head coach JJ Redick is calling out players every other week, and the vibes are terrible.
With Austin Reaves set to miss extended time, the Los Angeles Lakers need answers fast. The trade deadline might help eventually, but former NBA star John Wall thinks Redick can fix things right now with one specific move.
Can a Lineup Change Save the Los Angeles Lakers’ Season?
Things looked perfect in early December. A win over the New Orleans Pelicans pushed the Lakers to 15-4, and with Luka Dončić playing at an MVP level, the pieces fit together seamlessly. It seemed like Los Angeles had figured out the perfect recipe for a championship contender.
However, that momentum came to a screeching halt this month. The team has lost six of its last 10 games, falling to a mediocre 19-10 record. Their current three-game skid ranks among the worst recent stretches for any team in the NBA.
The numbers during this slide are ugly. Los Angeles has lost by double digits in its last three outings, getting outscored by a total of 62 points. In their Christmas Day loss to the Houston Rockets, the offense failed to crack the 100-point mark. That happened even with the star trio of LeBron James, Reaves, and Dončić on the court together.
What Lineup Adjustment Does John Wall Suggest for JJ Redick?
Redick hasn’t held back, publicly blasting his team for inconsistency and lack of effort. But John Wall believes the issue goes deeper than just trying harder. The former first overall pick sees a structural flaw in how the Lakers are deploying their talent.
As a member of the broadcast crew for the NBA on Amazon Prime, he explained a decision that he would make with the current starting lineup. “(Rui’s) not supposed to be guarding Kevin Durant or guarding a Cade Cunningham on a nightly basis.”
Most Lakers fans would agree with that assessment. While Hachimura is an excellent spot-up shooter, he hasn’t been the perfect fit defensively. This becomes a major issue when paired with the team’s other stars.
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Lakers insider Jova Buha recently clarified the issue. “If your 2-3-4 are Luka, LeBron, and Rui, you’re going to get lit up, and you just don’t have a chance against good teams.”
Wall doesn’t think the Lakers need to completely dump Hachimura. Instead, the Washington Wizards legend believes the answer is already on the bench. Wall offered a clear solution: “One move I would love to see is taking Rui out of the starting lineup, adding Marcus Smart there.”
Smart, who joined Los Angeles as a free agent in the offseason, has been a difference-maker in tight games. He helped the team thrive early in the year by making consistent defensive plays. Inserting him into the starting unit could salvage a defense that has looked like one of the bottom five groups in the league recently.
