LA Lakers coach JJ Redick revealed his strategy for experimenting with his starting lineup in the 2025-26 season. LA is in quite a predicament with LeBron James set to miss the first few weeks of the season. This is due to the injury he acquired over the summer. James was diagnosed with sciatica and has an unclear timeline for when he can return to action.Having that in mind, many are curious how Redick plans on solving the James problem they have. Luckily, they still have Luka Doncic to rely on for leadership. However, the next question is, what's the best lineup to surround the Slovenian star with?"You wanna put your five best players on the court as much as possible," Redick said. "You also want to have balance with every lineup. ... I'm sure every guy wants to start. ... We're still working through that and obviously losing LeBron for the start of the year in some ways complicates things a little bit. We have a week to figure that out."With coach Redick himself still unsure of who to run in the Lakers' season opener, here's a prediction of the three potential starting five lineups for LA.Note: This listicle reflects the opinions of the writer.3 potential Lakers starting 5 lineupsWhen it comes to basketball, the starting lineup usually consists of the team's best players. However, there are those teams who choose to be strategic and bench at least one star to reserve them for a better moment in the game. In the case of the LA Lakers, they are forced to bench LeBron James due to his injury.Having that said, who should Lakers coach JJ Redick run in their season-opening game against the Golden State Warriors?#1 Luka Doncic (PG), Austin Reaves (SG), Rui Hachimura (SF), Jaxson Hayes (PF), Deandre Ayton (C)If we're going to look at the Lakers' current roster, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes and Deandre Ayton are arguably the team's best five players without LeBron James.Before Doncic came into the picture, Reaves and Hachimura had proven themselves worthy of being starters for LA. Since getting traded from the New Orleans Pelicans, Hayes has also shown that he can step up to the occasion, especially when Anthony Davis was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. As for Deandre Ayton, he's clearly on the roster to fill the void Davis left. A couple of things are unclear: whether these four players can play around Doncic or if Luka can create opportunities for his teammates. #2 Marcus Smart (PG), Austin Reaves (SG), Luka Doncic (SF), Rui Hachimura (PF), Deandre Ayton (C)Looking at this second potential lineup, getting rid of Jaxson Hayes should give the Lakers a certain speed boost. The first potential lineup was on the slower side of the spectrum. Luka Doncic isn't necessarily the fastest player in the world. Plus, looking at the other four guys, only Austin Reaves has the potential to consistently go for fast breaks.With Marcus Smart replacing Hayes, this gives LA more opportunities to score in transition. Smart is a lockdown defender who can get steals for his team. Securing the ball on defense could lead to an easy fast break for Austin Reaves, giving them a slight advantage in terms of run-and-gun play.#3 Marcus Smart (PG), Austin Reaves (SG), Luka Doncic (SF), Jarred Vanderbilt (PF), Deandre Ayton (C)This third potential lineup focuses more on the defensive aspect of the game. With Marcus Smart's quick hands, then Jarred Vanderbilt's and Deandre Ayton's paint protection, the opposing offensive team could have a difficult time penetrating the basket. The only drawback here would be that the Lakers are limited to two scoring options with this lineup. However, if both Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic could consistently score on a particular night, then the balance of defense and offense with this lineup could be good to run.