1 Laker who needs more playing time, 2 who need less

The Los Angeles Lakers entered this week with their collective tail between their legs after being destroyed by the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night. Even playing in the friendly confines of Crypto.com Arena wasn't enough to stop a second-half Nuggets avalanche, and after beginning the season 7-0 at home, L.A. has now dropped two straight in front of their own fans. The Lakers are still 10-6, but it's clear that they have significant work to do to be taken seriously as a true title contender.

The loss continued a troubling trend for the Lakers, as they have now lost 13 of 14 to the Nuggets dating back to the 2022-23 season, which includes two straight years of being ousted by Denver in the postseason. More troubling still is what head coach JJ Redick said about his team's effort after the game. "Clearly the spirit to compete just wasn't there," he lamented when looking back at a game that the Lakers actually led by six at halftime before being outscored by 31 in the second half.

The NBA regular season is a fluid enterprise. Every team has to contend with injuries, off-nights from its stars and the grind of playing 82 games in nearly six months, and Redick is finding out that as much as he'd like to, he can't simply expect the same effort and level of performance every night from each one of his players.

There's a lot to like about the moves Redick has made to this point in the season, which should fill Lakers fans with hope that he'll steer them correctly after this loss, as well. Moving D'Angelo Russell to the bench was a great move, as it freed LeBron James up to better direct the offense, while also allowing D-Lo to thrive in a lower-pressure environment.

Redick has also gotten the most out of Anthony Davis (Saturday's dud of a performance against longtime nemesis Nikola Jokic notwithstanding) and rookie Dalton Knecht, who shined after being inserted into the starting lineup in place of Russell and an injured Rui Hachimura.

Redick has done a great job, but in the crucible of the Western Conference, things can snowball out of control quickly unless you're willing to constantly evolve. Let's look at three adjustments Redick can make to his rotation to help his Lakers rebound from their two-game losing streak.

Dalton Knecht should be playing more because the Lakers need his scoring ability on the court

Dalton Knecht has averaged just over 23 minutes per game in his first year month in the league, but it's really been a tale of two seasons for the former Tennessee sharpshooter.

After struggling with his shot to begin the season, Knecht has been one of the most improved players in the league since Redick added him to the starting lineup in a game against the Grizzlies, and a critical component in L.A.'s recent four-game win streak.

Redick has given Knecht the green light whenever he's on the floor, and the rookie has responded by averaging just under 23 points per game during his five-game stint in the starting lineup. Knecht's offensive explosion made L.A. look like a different team, but it's also why Lakers fans were so perplexed that Redick demoted him back to the bench when Rui Hachimura returned against the Nuggets.

Knecht still played 28 minutes against Denver compared to 22 for Hachimura, but this was a classic case of trying to fix something that wasn't broken. Rui has earned his place in the starting five, but Cam Reddish, who also got the nod over Knecht, has not.

Redick likely went with Reddish due to the journeyman's better defensive reputation, but the Lakers are 26th in the league in defensive rating for a reason. This is a team that's going to need to win with its offense on most nights, especially against the Nuggets, since Nikola Jokic so often has his way with Anthony Davis.

Putting Knecht on the floor with LeBron, AD and Austin Reaves makes the Lakers incredibly difficult to defend. Redick should lean into that.

Gabe Vincent is playing a lot of minutes for someone that's so offensively limited

Reddish hasn't taken many shots when he's been given playing time, but when he has, he's at least been efficient in knocking them down. Gabe Vincent, on the other hand, is not bringing much to the table, yet he's still playing over 17 minutes per game. Maybe that's where Knecht's extra playing time should be coming from?

Vincent is averaging just three points per game on the year, on truly woeful shooting numbers. He's only 30.6 percent from the floor and 20.5 percent from three, and as you would imagine from a player who has proven that the defense doesn't need to pay much attention to him, most of those looks have been wide-open.

Vincent parlayed a strong playoff run with the Miami Heat two years ago into a three-year, $33 million contract with the Lakers, but he missed most of last season with a knee injury. The Lakers clearly hoped that he had reached a new level, but whether the injury or being away from Heat Culture is to blame, it's become obvious that his signing in free agency was one of Rob Pelinka's biggest misses. He needs to be playing less.

JJ Redick should cut back on LeBron James' minutes so that he has a full tank for the playoffs

Here's one that is sure to be controversial, but before the LeBron army storms my house, I promise that this is no knock on a guy that is doing things in his 22nd NBA season, such as his recent streak of four straight triple-doubles, that we've never seen before.

LeBron is 39 years old, and while there's likely never been a player in NBA history that's taken better care of his body, the fact remains that playing in the NBA in 2024 is more intense than it's ever been. The level of talent and athleticism in the league is at an all-time high, and though LeBron has proven that he still has the physical gifts to thrive, Redick needs to be thinking long-term when it comes to his friend and former podcast co-host.

LeBron is currently averaging 35.4 minutes per game, a number that leads the Lakers and ranks 21st in the league. It's right in line with how much he's played the past two seasons, but given that he's another year older and spent the summer working hard to earn another gold medal with Team USA in the Paris Olympics, playing two or three fewer minutes per game could do him a world of good.

Redick also needs to think about his own stated goal of winning a title, something that would require four playoff rounds which would last anywhere from 16 to 28 additional games on top of the regular season's 82. LeBron is a warrior and will battle through anything, but if he's less than 100% when the postseason arrives, the Lakers don't stand a chance.