Everyone figured the Lakers’ starting five would center around Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler, with Quentin Grimes likely snagging one of the remaining spots. But Friday’s preseason game caught folks off guard when coach JJ Redick rolled out a lineup nobody saw coming. Instead of Grimes, he went with Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle as 3-and-D wings to flank the big three. This move might be because the guards beyond Luka and Reaves have struggled badly this preseason. With Collin Sexton sidelined, the team’s been forced to rely on deeper bench options like Bronny James for ball-handling, and it’s been a mess. Bringing Grimes off the bench could give Luka or Reaves a breather while keeping two solid ball-handlers on the floor. It might just be a temporary fix until Sexton returns. Preseason is all about experimenting, so there’s sense in testing wings around Luka and Reaves. But it puts a lot of pressure on that duo to create shots, since defenses can sag off Williams and Thybulle, clogging the paint. The real test is if those wings can hit enough threes to keep defenses honest. As we saw against the Nuggets, teams will blitz Luka and Reaves on screens and make the others beat them. It’s a risky gamble for Redick, especially after that lineup looked shaky early on Friday. Will he stick with it come the regular season?
