The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t make a bunch of roster changes this summer, but they did make one huge addition in hiring JJ Redick as their new head coach. The first-time coach has been open about some things he wants to do in order to improve the Lakers offense and one of the biggest is getting the ball in Anthony Davis’ hands more often.
The Lakers big man is coming off arguably the best season of his career as he was dominant on both sides of the ball. But with LeBron James being one of the best playmakers the NBA has ever seen, the ball is always in his hands and sometimes that leads to Davis not seeing many touches for stretches of games.
But Redick plans on changing that this season and Davis feels very comfortable taking on more of a playmaking role and being even more of a focal point in the offense.
“I’ve always been comfortable in that role,” Davis said during Lakers Media Day. “Every team that I’ve played on going back to New Orleans, I’ve always caught the ball in the middle of the floor just kinda directing the offense and things like that so that’ll be nothing new.
“As far as conversations, we had a couple. Obviously busy summer and things like that. But I’m pretty sure our conversations will be a little bit more in-depth as the season has now started. We’re able to be on the floor, kinda go over things. Talking, communicating about how we want things to work, what I like, what I don’t like, what he likes, what he envisions and kinda build around that especially with the roster that we have. But I’m very comfortable having the ball and playmaking from anywhere on the floor.”
It is well known that Davis played point guard for most of his time growing up before experiencing a huge growth spurt late in high school. But those skills are still in there and he has shown them off plenty throughout his career.
But like Davis said, he and Redick will now be able to have more in-depth conversations with training camp underway, something that didn’t happen too much during the summer.
“JJ played the game. Honestly I didn’t have many conversations with JJ actually, it was more so with Rob [Pelinka],” Davis added. “But Rob was telling me all these things about JJ and obviously I was giving my input on how I felt. Obviously it’s different by him being a first-time coach and a head coach so that’s a little different. But the principles and the schemes that he wants to bring into our organization just kinda stood out to me and I kinda just relayed that to Rob and let Rob kinda do his job from there.”
The important thing is that Davis and Redick are on the same page, working together to ensure the Lakers have a successful season and it certainly sounds like they are on that path.
Lakers coach JJ Redick wants Anthony Davis to shoot more 3-pointers
Another area that Lakers coach JJ Redick wants to see improvement from Anthony Davis in is his outside shooting. The big man has shot below 30% from deep in each of the last four seasons, and Redick was apparently hounding Davis all summer about his 3-point shot.
“So he has been on me all summer about shooting 3s. Even in the Olympics when I would make a 3, he would text me and say that’s what I want to see and things like that. But for him, it’s definitely gonna be shooting more 3s.”
Davis raising his 3-point percentage would do wonders for the Lakers offense overall and give defenses even more to worry about from one of the league’s most versatile players.
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