Early injury woes reveal the sacrifice Lakers must make for long-term success

One of the biggest challenges facing Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick is the construction and development of a consistent second unit. It's a tall task that's already been impacted by injuries, but it could go a long way toward defining how successful his first season in Los Angeles becomes.

As the starting lineup begins to face minor injuries of its own, the time is now for Redick to sacrifice the short-term in favor of an essential long-term development.

The Lakers have been without key reserves Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood for each of their first eight games. Unfortunately, franchise player and MVP candidate Anthony Davis was also unable to avoid the injury bug after suffering a left heel contusion against the Detroit Pistons.

The hits kept on coming during the final leg of the Lakers' road trip as Rui Hachimura missed the clash with the Memphis Grizzlies due to an illness.

The hope is that these are minor inconveniences rather than issues that will linger further into the season. The odds are in the Lakers' favor in that regard, but as the starting lineup carries a burden that's impossible to sustain, the door has unexpectedly swung open for a necessary sacrifice to be made.

If the Lakers are going to build a team that can compete even when their starters aren't at their best, then Redick needs to invest more time and touches in the second unit as quickly as possible.

JJ Redick must let the Lakers' second unit learn through failure

The Lakers' second unit currently ranks No. 27 in offensive rating and No. 29 in points per game. Rookie swingman Dalton Knecht leads the reserves at 7.3 points per game, and he's amassed that average on an underwhelming 5.4 field goal attempts per contest.

Considering Knecht has shot efficiently with a slash line of .474/.375/1.000, it's becoming increasingly more difficult to justify the limited shot attempts he receives.

A primary reason for the Lakers' shortcomings has been the need to play multiple starters with the reserves to offset their lack of reliable production. The unintended consequence, however, has been the reserves playing all but exclusively in an off-ball capacity.

As a result, the players who need to work through their underwhelming performances have instead been relegated to roles that permit their struggles to continue.

To rectify this issue, the Lakers must position the reserves to overcome adversity. That will require putting the ball in their respective hands and running designed plays to get them involved early and often, thus ensuring they're in a rhythm by the time they're tasked with playing off the starters.

There's no player in greater need of an increase in touches and shot opportunities than Gabe Vincent—who has thus far attempted just 3.9 field goals per game.

The obvious downside to this approach is that the second unit could continue to struggle and thus damage the team's chances of winning. That's a necessary sacrifice early in the season, however, as the Lakers need to figure out how to produce offense when the starters are either hurt or struggling.

It's an essential investment in a second unit that must establish its capabilities as early as possible to ensure the Lakers can properly evaluate what external opportunities must be explored.