The Los Angeles Lakers are in the early stages of learning head coach JJ Redick’s system and personality, but so far the early returns have been promising.
Despite dropping their first two preseason games, there seems to be more of a competitive edge and fire to the roster that was oftentimes lacking last season. Redick has been transparent with the players about his expectations for the upcoming 2024-25 season, even hosting a meeting with his team to nail down things like their identity and other ground rules.
The talk of training camp was Redick’s philosophy on the offensive end where he emphasized the need to shoot more 3-pointers. However, he’s also talked a lot about the defense and what he wants to see on that side of the floor every night.
Transition defense was a huge issue for Los Angeles last season, and Redick has already made it clear he doesn’t want to see his players lagging to get back down the floor.
“We have a limbo rate,” Redick said. “Limbo is you’re not crashing and you’re not getting back. We were the worst team in the league last year at limbo rate. We want…for me in an ideal world everybody crashes. We deal with the consequences of that, so we’ve gotta sort of emphasize that and emphasize staying out of limbo. I believe that was ‘Inception’ and we all know what happens when you get stuck in limbo.”
Redick has been lauded for his understanding of how the game of basketball is currently played offensively, but it sounds like he’s also done his homework on the defensive end. The Lakers have had success doubling down on the size and physicality of their roster, so crashing the boards for extra opportunities and second-chance points is a great strategy.
With four preseason games left, Redick and Los Angeles will need to utilize the live reps they’re getting to get themselves ready for what will be a pressure-filled 2024-25 season. While the focus might be on the offense, the defense is what will win them games in the regular season and hopefully beyond.
Rui Hachimura says Lakers respect JJ Redick as a former player
Given that JJ Redick just turned 40 years old, some of the current players on the roster still remember him going up against him. For example, Rui Hachimura recalls suiting up against Redick a couple of years ago but noted that he and the team respect him as a former player.
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