Previewing Sixers-Lakers with Alex Regla

Is it possible for the Joel Embiid- and Maxey-less Sixers to salvage this stretch with a win against the Lakers? To find out, let’s talk to Alex Regla, who covers the team for Silver Screen and Roll.

MORE: Maxey to miss a couple weeks

Adam Aaronson: The Lakers noticeably did not experience much roster turnover whatsoever from 2023-24 to 2024-25, but did make one big change, bringing in former Sixers shooting guard JJ Redick as their new head coach. What have you made of Redick’s first handful of games on the job?

Alex Regla: Given Redick had no previous head-coaching experience (outside of his son’s youth basketball league) when he was hired, it was difficult to predict how he would fare in this role. The early returns have been promising if not downright impressive, however.

Despite a difficult opening slate, the Lakers won their first three games of the season, Anthony Davis is currently leading the NBA in scoring and the offense has benefitted from a modernized playbook. The buy-in from the players and the general vibes around the team also feel sky-high. This is a particularly refreshing change after the locker room became icy under Darvin Ham.

Since then, the Lakers and Redick have fallen back to earth a bit. After a disappointing road trip and a defense that is proving more vulnerable than expected, Redick has been forced to experiment with different lineup combinations and schemes in search of solutions. Those results have been mixed at best.

Between their recent skid and the lack of optionality and depth on the roster, we should learn a lot more about Redick’s coaching acumen in his first face of adversity.

AA: Whenever a star-caliber player becomes available for trade, everybody looks to the Lakers first. And the team does now have multiple tradeable first-round picks and medium-sized contracts. Do you believe the Lakers need to add another star talent in order to get over the hump before the end of LeBron James’ career?

AR: After the Russell Westbrook fiasco, the Lakers’ front office has been extremely cautious when it comes to making any trade, not to mention one that involves a star.

Those in charge of basketball operations have stressed they are willing to push their chips in but have given the caveat that it would only be for an exclusive group of players. Although that may not be a popular sentiment amongst fans, Davis or LeBron James, I tend to agree with this mindset to a point.

There are certain stars that warrant an aggressive pursuit. But as Westbrook’s tenure with the team highlighted, adding a star for the sake of adding a star could backfire tremendously if it’s a clunky fit or at the expense of roster depth.

That said, I do believe the Lakers need notable external help to catapult them into title contenders. So whether it’s a star or moves on the margins (the most likely scenario) there are several glaring holes that need addressing if they hope to alter their trajectory.

History has shown the Lakers will always be linked to big names, but in order to bridge the gap between the short and long term, it’s imperative they will have to find the right name.

AA: While Jared McCain was a favorite of many Sixers fans entering the 2024 NBA Draft, many were surprised that the Sixers selected McCain over Dalton Knecht, who landed with the Lakers one pick later. What has Knecht shown you so far? How much do you worry that his draft age (23 years old; will turn 24 in April) will limit his upside, and how much does that matter to you?

AR: As of this writing, the Lakers have the worst bench in the league in terms of points per game (18.9). They lack shot creation, size and overall scoring punch. Knecht, however, has been the sole reserve who has shown a capability of providing all of these things.

His jumper has been as good as advertised with Redick drawing up a variety of sets for him specifically. His ability to score at all three levels has been a pleasant surprise. And he’s impressively competed hard on defense despite opposing teams often attacking him. This is largely why the Lakers are +4.1 points better when Knecht has been on the floor this season.

Where other teams may have viewed Knecht’s age as a negative heading into the draft, the Lakers likely were attracted to a player who was NBA-ready from day one. The 23-year-old has proved to be just that, a statement that can’t be said about other rookies in what is looking like to be one of the weaker classes in recent memory.

There naturally are concerns about how much more room he has left to grow. Yet given how the Lakers were just burned when they opted for upside in the form of Jalen Hood-Schifino last year, Knecht’s start to the season is proving there is tangible value in investing in prospects with a higher floor than an unreachable ceiling.

MORE: McCain vs. Knecht draft day takes