The Los Angeles Lakers are in the thick of the playoff race as the Western Conference standings are changing almost every day.
The Lakers have had a relatively strong showing since the All-Star break ended, though are starting to show signs of wear and tear near the end of the 2024-25 season. The team’s schedule has been brutal as they had to endure a stretch of six games in eight nights and are currently playing every other day. With so many games bunched up, head coach JJ Redick has had to get creative with players’ minutes.
One bright spot during this run has been Jordan Goodwin, who endeared himself to the coaching staff and his teammates with his hustle, grit and physicality, especially on the defensive end. Los Angeles recognized Goodwin’s play and rewarded him by signing him to a standard NBA contract following Cam Reddish’s release. That allows him to be playoff-eligible.
Prior to the game against the Chicago Bulls, Redick discussed what Goodwin brings to the Lakers and how excited they are to have him, via Khobi Price of the Southern California News Group:
“Just his competitive spirit, his toughness. I joked with him in the morning, he can’t get soft on us now. He’s been a banshee for us since he’s been with us on the two-way and has provided not just the attitude, the toughness on the court, but he’s played some really good basketball for us. We’re very confident in him.”
Goodwin signed his two-way contract midway through the regular season but immediately got rotation minutes with the team struggling with some injuries. It didn’t take long for Goodwin to earn more minutes as his defensive tenacity and versatility made him an easy player to slot in any lineups.
While he might not be a very polished offensive threat, Goodwin’s a credible 3-point shooter who has been willing to let it fly when opposing teams leave him open. However, his best trait might be his nose for the basketball as he always seems to be in the right place to make a play on the floor.
Goodwin should continue to serve as a key member off the bench and it’ll be interesting to see if he can still have the same impact once the playoffs roll around.
Austin Reaves feels Lakers need to communicate better on defense
The Lakers’ defense has predictably slipped amidst this rough stretch in the schedule, but Austin Reaves wouldn’t make excuses for the team. Instead, he said the Lakers need to communicate better on defense despite any fatigue.
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