The Los Angeles Lakers got back on track with an impressive road win over the Memphis Grizzlies, gaining a massive advantage in their chase for a top-four seed. Sitting in fourth place with a 45-29 record, the Lakers' remaining eight games will be critical in determining whether they will have home-court advantage in the first round and who they will face in their playoff path.
Head coach JJ Redick also has to finalize the rotation before the playoffs. When healthy, the Lakers have been starting Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Jaxson Hayes. Dorian Finney-Smith, Gabe Vincent, and Jarred Vanderbilt have been important pieces off the bench and should have almost guaranteed spots in the playoff rotation.
The two players whose postseason roles are currently up in the air are Dalton Knecht and Jordan Goodwin. Knecht is in an especially fascinating situation.
Dalton Knecht Will Find it Hard to Crack Playoff Rotation
On one hand, he is arguably the best shooter on the team. The Lakers are a middling three-point shooting team, and Knecht is one of the few players who can provide spacing and be a perimeter threat for whom they can draw up plays.
On the other hand, he is a defensive liability. The Lakers' defense has been 5.5 points per 100 possessions worse with him on the floor than off, per Cleaning the Glass. He doesn't have enough length, athleticism, or strength to be a passable one-on-one or help defender.
That is why Knecht's minutes have been inconsistent lately. He has played over ten minutes once in the last five games. In the 22 games since the All-Star break, Knecht's minutes have fallen to 18 minutes per game.
This will likely continue for the rest of the season and the playoffs. Considering their lack of rim protection and frontcourt depth, the Lakers need to prioritize defensive intensity on the perimeter.
That is why the likes of Finney-Smith, Vincent, and Goodwin may have a larger role down the stretch. Knecht will have to shoot the lights out to justify playing him despite his defensive shortcomings. So far, his 37% shooting from downtown isn't at that level, making it hard for Redick to trust him.