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JJ Redick of the Los Angeles Lakers
Without stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the Los Angeles Lakers prepare to do battle with the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs.
L.A. is still reeling from a whacky finish to the regular season, even though it won the final three games.
The Lakers were hit with back-to-back injury blows after MRI scans revealed Grade 2 strains for Doncic (hamstring) and Reaves (oblique) following a 43-point romp at the hands of the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Ever since, the Lakers’ season has gone from title hopeful to dramatic underdog.
All they can do now is control the controllables — as the head coach down in Oklahoma City likes to put it.
L.A. has already put together several practices this week with special emphasis on defense and rebounding, two areas the Lakers hope to outdo a physical Rockets team in. Easier said than done. But it’s a start.
No Doncic and no Reaves, so what’s next for L.A. — and how does it plan to approach the rotation for Game 1?
Cliche, yes, but crucial for the Lakers to accept: the next man up mentality.
Even if they are somehow able to eke past the Rockets in round one, it would be virtually uncharted territory. Perhaps no team in NBA history has won a playoff series without its first and second highest volume scorers. Without Doncic and Reaves, the Lakers are missing nearly 60 points per game of offense.
The good thing is the Lakers can truly commit to that next man up approach — or that “strength in numbers” mindset the Golden State Warriors made famous years ago — if they really put their minds to it.
Because minus the two injured stars, L.A. will be fully healthy entering Game 1 of the playoffs, according to reports. It’ll allow head coach JJ Redick to shift the Lakers’ gameplan and experiment with different rotations as Doncic and Reaves are sidelined.
Given the Lakers are zeroing in on defense and rebounding at the top priorities, it won’t be surprising if coach Redick deploys a unique starting five Saturday night. It’ll throw a different look at the Rockets and potentially present them something they won’t be prepared for.
A potential first five:
Whaaaat? Is that Bronny we see here? Yep!
This is about as good of a defensive lineup the Lakers can throw out there without stripping down the offense too much. Redick said he wants Bronny to stay prepared in these playoffs, so why not throw the fearless 21-year-old out there and let him show off his defensive chops?
Bronny has demonstrated more confidence as a ball-handler and willing shot taker this season — this would be the ideal time for the sophomore guard to test his limits.
No, he won’t be Luka Doncic. He won’t be Austin Reaves. He can just be Bronny in his little-big Bronny ways.
Joining him in the starting backcourt could be Smart, another very capable defensive guard. Heck, he’s a former Defensive Player of the Year. Surely he still has some of that edge to him.
Smart is also a willing shot maker on offense. He doesn’t possess explosive scoring ability, but has the veteran know-how to help potentially disguise some “rookie” mistakes Bronny may be prone to. Smart has also improved his outside shot late in the season. He’ll get plenty of opportunities to knock down some 3s. If he hits enough of them, it could make the difference in a game or two for the Lakers. And that difference might be all they need to hang around longer for No. 77 to get back in uniform.
James and Hachimura provide a more steady scoring presence, especially James, who will be called on to trigger that “2018 LeBron” somewhere inside him.
That leaves Ayton, ever the X-factor — and ever the annoyer. Not to his opponents as much as he can be to his own team (sigh). Ayton has long been tagged as that player. The one who, if he plays well, pencil in the W. If not, then buckle up for a long night.
Will Ayton show some grit on the glass? Prove to Clint Capela that he is actually more than just another Clint Capela? Firmly snatch the ball when it’s passed to him?
Unfortunately, answers to those questions are immensely hard to forecast with a guy like Ayton. Redick will give him his chances and expect productive minutes out of him, but whether he capitalizes could mean the difference between the Lakers establishing some lineup stability and fumbling with 100 different rotations.
Get ready, Lakers nation, it’s going to be some series.
Adel Ahmad Adel is a writer with over five years of experience covering the NBA. His work has appeared on various media platforms, both national and local. More about Adel Ahmad
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