In Las Vegas last summer, a veteran NBA coach spoke about the Lakers' decision to hire JJ Redick noting that nothing can prepare someone - an assistant, broadcaster, whoever - for the massive volume of decisions a head coach needs to make on a nightly basis.
Redick made a big choice that night, moving point guard D'Angelo Russell to the second unit in favor of Cam Reddish, who wasn't even in the rotation three games ago. Decisions like that are fraught with second-guessing, the kind of moves fans can hold against a coach.
Friday, the move worked about as good as it could've for all parties involved. Reddish took on the responsibility of defending Philadelphia's best perimeter player, Paul George. Reaves, freed of that responsibility, had his best shooting game of the season.
And, most importantly, the Lakers won, beating the 76ers 116-106 in their first game in Los Angeles following a 1-4 road trip, with significant contributions from stars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
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