Collin Sexton is off the Lakers’ injury report for Friday’s game against the Clippers, putting him in position to make his team debut. The NBA’s Thursday, Oct. 22 report, issued at 8 p.m. Eastern, includes the Lakers’ submission without his name. Friday’s game is scheduled for 10 p.m. Eastern, or 7 p.m. in Los Angeles.
I want Sexton’s first appearance to expand JJ Redick’s options without turning Quentin Grimes into the automatic casualty. Grimes just supplied a useful opening night without making a three. Another guard becoming available should let the Lakers assign him a cleaner job, rather than erase the work he already did.
According to Basketball Reference’s Grimes page, he finished his first Lakers regular-season game with 10 points, four assists and zero turnovers in 27 minutes. He made four of seven shots, missed both three-point attempts and added a steal and a block. That is an evening worth keeping in the rotation even when the jumper does not provide the sales pitch.
We have already made the case for Sexton leading the second unit. The new question is how to fit his possessions around a guard who can contribute without being the first scoring option. Start by giving them some shared minutes, with Sexton starting the attack and Grimes available to shoot, cut or make the next pass.
The injury report establishes availability, not a promised workload. I would let the first stint determine the size of the next one, while keeping a place for Grimes rather than treating every Sexton minute as a deduction from his account.
Two Guards, Different Assignments
Sexton’s appeal is easy to understand. Basketball Reference lists 15.4 points and 3.3 assists in 23.7 minutes per game across Charlotte and Chicago last season. He made 112 of 279 threes, or 40.1%. The Lakers can use that scoring without requiring him to turn every trip into an audition for the starting backcourt.
Grimes averaged 13.4 points and 3.3 assists in 29.4 minutes for Philadelphia last season, also per Basketball Reference. His three-point percentage was 33.4%, from 127 makes in 380 attempts. Those numbers do not make him the obvious substitute for Sexton’s scoring responsibility. They do give Redick a reason to separate the assignments instead of asking each guard to perform an identical job.
Ask Sexton to turn an ordinary possession into a scoring opportunity. Give him a screen, an outlet and permission to take the shot when the defense leaves it available. Grimes should be ready for the next decision, particularly when Sexton’s first move brings another defender toward the ball. A quick extra pass can be just as useful as taking another dribble to manufacture a harder attempt.
Grimes’ opening line is encouraging in that respect, but four assists without a turnover in one game does not settle his passing ability. It earns him another opportunity. I would judge the pairing on whether the ball reaches a useful second action after the initial attack, rather than on which reserve finishes with more points.
The scoring splits also argue against reducing either player to a label. Sexton averaged 14.2 points and 3.7 assists over 42 Charlotte games, then 17.5 points and 2.5 assists in 26 Chicago appearances, per Basketball Reference. Same player, different production. Redick should define what he needs from Sexton here before deciding that his previous box scores dictate every possession.
Keep Grimes Involved After the First Pass
There is a straightforward way to waste Grimes: station him outside, let him touch the ball only when the clock is nearly gone, then complain if the shooting percentage is poor. I would rather involve him early enough that he can choose between a shot, a drive and a pass. His opener offered a reminder that a missed three need not end his usefulness.
Basketball Reference records four two-point makes in five attempts in that game. Last season he made 56.8% of his twos for Philadelphia. Give Grimes choices inside the arc instead of grading him entirely on whether he makes his first outside attempt.
That approach also fits the broader argument in our preseason turnover breakdown: put responsibility on the actual decision. If Grimes passes up a clean shot and dribbles into trouble, correct that. If he makes the easy pass and someone else misses, keep running the possession that produced the chance. A rotation governed only by the last jumper will have everyone checking the bench after every miss.
I still want to stagger these guards with Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves where possible. Shared reserve minutes need not mean handing the entire offense to a group without either star. We argued for keeping Reaves involved as a creator; Sexton’s availability should make it easier to distribute that responsibility, with Grimes helping the possession continue after the first option closes.
Friday’s most useful test will come after Sexton’s first substitution. Watch whether Grimes still gets meaningful touches, and whether the two guards can work through the same possession without one waiting for the other to finish. Let Sexton attack. Give Grimes something useful to do when the defense answers.