The Los Angeles Lakers received a blessing during Game 5 of their first-round series against the Houston Rockets when Austin Reaves made his highly-anticipated 2026 postseason debut. By most means and measures, that's an unavoidably positive development.
For as encouraging as it may be to have the star power partly replenished, however, the Lakers can't afford to lose sight of how valuable their depth has been.
Los Angeles finished the 2025-26 regular season ranked No. 29 in bench points per game. That painted the picture of the Lakers lacking ideal depth, but when Luka Doncic and Reaves missed the first four games of the first-round series against the Rockets, the team hardly missed a beat.
Los Angeles jumped out to a 3-0 series lead, with LeBron James thriving as a playmaker who trusted his teammates to step up in the scoring department.
Moving forward, the Lakers must make a consistent effort to ensure their depth remains a strength. Game 5 showed flashes of such being the case, but after watching Luke Kennard attempt four shots in 31 minutes and Marcus Smart become far less involved across 37, there's reason for skepticism.
Thankfully, Lakers head coach JJ Redick can fix this issue by creating a gameplan that continues to emphasize his supporting cast's strengths.
JJ Redick must ensure Lakers' supporting cast remains a strength
Kennard was sensational early in the series, posting 27 points in Game 1 and 23 in Game 2. Though he shot just 4-of-13 in Game 3, the veteran sharpshooter tallied 14 points, six rebounds, and six assists in crucial minutes to help the Lakers secure a 3-0 series lead.
Kennard was fairly quiet with seven points on 3-of-8 shooting during a blowout loss in Game 4, but no one could've seen him attempting just four shots in Game 5.
Smart, meanwhile, has been nothing short of brilliant. Through the first four games of the series, he averaged 17.5 points, 7.5 assists, and 3.5 steals on 10.5 field goal attempts per game, but he attempted seven field goals and had just two assists during Reaves' first game back.
It's a perhaps inevitable outcome, as the Lakers have played heavily through their stars any time even two of them have been healthy.
Though there's clearly sound logic in putting the ball in your best players' hands, depth is a vital strength in a postseason setting. The Lakers seem to have a better roster than some believed, yet the quality of the rotation was seemingly overshadowed by the effort to reintegrate Reaves.
If Los Angeles is hoping to close out the series and advance to the second round, then Redick must ensure that the entire rotation is positioned to excel and avoid overburdening the stars.
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