Lakers’ Concern After Unexpected JJ Redick Decision, Revealed

After Sunday’s convincing 123-103 victory over the Toronto Raptors, the Los Angeles Lakers have now racked up back-to-back victories following their disappointing 1-4 road trip.

Head coach JJ Redick had to shake things up after his team struggled mightily on the road, and it has delivered instant results for the Lakers. The rookie coach’s most contentious decision thus far is dropping D’Angelo Russell to a bench role after the former All-Star started the Lakers’ first eight games of the season.

According to Redick himself, Russell has had no issue accepting his demotion, and that the communication between them has been pivotal during this transition period. At the same time, however, there is reportedly some concern within the Lakers as to how Russell will react to this rather unexpected turn of events in the long run.

“Sources say the players were somewhat surprised Redick went away from Russell as quickly as he did, but, through improved communication, Redick has been able to maintain better buy-in,” reported Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints.

“… Some internally are still concerned about how Russell will handle this over time, which makes it all the more important the Lakers keep winning as they figure out this new approach.”

It is important to note that even Russell himself has been very straightforward about embracing his new role from the bench. In a recent interview, the 28-year-old said that he is “egoless” and that he’s not taking his demotion personally. At the end of the day, the most important thing for him is that the Lakers keep winning.

This is all well and good, but as the above report indicates, there are still some within the organization who are worried about the long-term impact this will have on Russell — especially if and when the Lakers start losing again.