“Hit In The Face”: Lack of clarity about Lakers rookie’s injury leaves JJ Redick & Co. in further trouble

JJ Redick has some explaining to do.

Well, technically he did. Just not to our satisfaction. Dalton Knecht was given the nod to start tonight in the big loss of Anthony Davis for the Lakers. Under the watchful eye of his former Volunteers coach Rick Barnes, the number 17 put in a solid performance. However, Knecht's run ended when he caught an elbow to the jaw from Jake LaRavia in the fourth quarter as he left the game and headed to the locker room.

Dave McMenamin confirmed he would not be returning. Not that it would have made much of a difference as Purple & Gold were already double digits behind with only a few minutes left on the clock. The ESPN veteran also provided the update that the 23-year-old “No x-rays of his jaw were required after the game.” either.

That was a relief! Still, someone more familiar with Dalton's situation might better understand his condition, right? Coach Redick was approached with this goal, but he was disappointed.

“It seemed as if he was in pain,” the Lakers coach explained. “I think he was hit in the face. I am I'm not really sure. I can’t give you an answer to that.”

It's certainly not ideal, especially given the leadership that LeBron James took in the absence of AD and Rui Hachimura. Despite scoring a game-high 39 points and Ja Morant leaving in the third quarter with a right hamstring injury, Los Angeles was soundly beaten by the Grizzlies.

And given JJ Redick's seemingly casual nonchalance about the condition of one of their young players, things don't appear to be going well for the Lakers' new coach.

Another factor here was his decision regarding D'Angelo Russell.

JJ Redick makes it clear there is no deeper meaning behind his D'Angelo Russell decision

When the Lakers took on the Memphis Grizzlies tonight, it was interesting to see D'Lo benched for the final 17 minutes. According to Jovan Buha, “He only played 22 minutes, the worst of any starter.” Needless to say, there were numerous reactions, ranging from many of the director's criticisms of Russell for his disappointing performance to a few others wondering if JJ's influence in the locker room is waning.

But what did the Duke alum have to say about his decision? “It wasn’t a punishment. I just felt like, you know, we have a chance to win this game, that was the route we wanted to take.” he clarified after the game.

The Lakers coach also pointed out some details that the $60 million star needs to focus on. JJ noticed how D'Angelo's “Competition level” And “Attention to detail” He has made progress in these areas. The problem, however, was that it wasn't consistent. More precisely, sometimes “It’s just a matter of returning to certain habits.”

D'Lo finished tonight with 12 points, three assists and one rebound while struggling to shoot, going 4 of 12 from the field and 2 of 9 from downtown.

Despite a hot start to the season, questions about Redick's handling of the roster are mounting as the Lakers coach comes under early scrutiny. From his reaction to Knecht's injury to his bold stance against D'Angelo Russell, JJ has made it clear that he's taking a no-nonsense approach. Only time will tell if Redick's tough decisions will lead to the discipline and results the Purple & Gold need.