The Lakers plan to have both their newest additions in Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton against the Cavaliers on Tuesday, but won’t be making a starting lineup change.
A break in the Lakers' schedule may prove beneficial. After playing on Saturday, the Lakers had two days off before hosting the Cavs on Tuesday.
Those days off should give the pair of Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, both newly acquired via trade on Sunday, the chance to play against Cleveland. At practice on Monday, JJ Redick said the hope is both will play on Tuesday.
He also revealed that, at least for now, there would be no starting lineup changes.
JJ Redick says the hope for the Lakers is to have Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton in the lineup Tuesday vs. CLE. Redick says he will keep the same starting lineup, however.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 30, 2024
Both DFS and Milton underwent physicals on Monday, while D’Angelo Russell and Maxwell Lewis will do the same in Brooklyn. The final hold-up in the players' debuts will be whether they all pass their physicals. Once that happens, they’ll be available to play.
Not making a move in the starting lineup is also noteworthy. It makes sense not to make a change right away, especially with how well the current lineup has been playing. Redick spoke at length about his decision not to change the lineup.
“We’re in a good spot with our starting group right now, so [Dorian Finney Smith will] play and he’ll come off the bench,” Redick said. “Like I told you guys several times, I want consistency with that group, but I’m not going to be stubborn…It’s working right now and [DFS] is a guy that can fit in very easily with any lineup in any sort of roster. He has a desire to win and compete and he doesn’t matter to him if he’s starting.”
Max Christie has excelled as a starter and that unit has played well together in recent weeks. While DFS could be seen as an upgrade, there’s no need to make that change immediately. Don’t fix what isn’t broken.
Now, if the Lakers run into hiccups or it becomes clear that DFS needs to start over someone, then changes can occur. That being said, Redick is clearly a fan of DFS, and once things are more settled, perhaps a change to the lineup comes.
There could be an argument for DFS starting over Rui Hachimura or Christie with the starters. If the Lakers want scoring off the bench, moving Rui out of the lineup could accomplish that. If they want to have more reliable spacing and offense, then moving Christie out of the lineup accomplishes that.
The Lakers have lots of options and it’s a good problem to have. For now, though, the solution is to wait and see.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.
