Head coach JJ Redick has done an excellent job integrating all the new pieces on the Los Angeles Lakers roster midway through the 2024-25 season, but he faced his toughest task so far when he and the team went on the road to take on the Denver Nuggets.
Redick has had to switch up the team’s philosophy on both ends of the floor after the blockbuster acquisition of Luka Doncic, leaning into more small-ball lineups that feature players like Dorian Finney-Smith and Jarred Vanderbilt.
Although Los Angeles looked woefully undermanned to guard Nikola Jokic, the defensive game plan was flawless as they constantly swarmed him any time he caught in the ball in the painted area. Jokic would go on to only attempt seven shots and was limited to 12 points. Offensively, the Lakers took advantage of wide-open looks from beyond the arc to stave off all the Nuggets’ runs.
Redick put together a near-perfect game plan that he revealed came at the cost of his sleep.
Redick notes he hasn’t slept since the Portland game on Thursday in preparation for this game. He said he and his staff spent a lot of time preparing for Denver on both sides of the ball.
“I thought our guys’ conviction to execute the game plan and stick with that game plan was excellent,” Redick said. “I told the group, there’s certain moments throughout the season that you just get up for. I pretty much haven’t slept since we walked off the court in Portland. I spent a lot of time on this game, our staff spent a lot of time on this game. I envision our guys playing hard, they played harder than I could’ve envisioned. They battled tonight and those were the two things that stood out.”
Redick has endeared himself to the fanbase for his competitive edge and relentless work ethic and both traits were on display against the Nuggets as he pushed all the right buttons. Denver has historically owned Los Angeles, so it was almost jarring to see the latter completely run away with the win on the road.
It was a statement victory for Los Angeles and Redick, who now look every bit the part of a title contender. Doncic had his best game in a Lakers uniform after he dropped a game-32 points while narrowly missing out on a triple-double. Meanwhile, the rest of the team was able to support him on both ends of the floor to pull off such an impressive win.
The upcoming schedule is littered with strong playoff teams, so Redick and his coaching staff still have a lot of work to do in the coming weeks. However, if Redick can continue to concoct these sorts of game plans then the purple and gold should be in good shape.
JJ Redick reveals NBA revelation about playing hard
JJ Redick understands what it takes to win at the NBA level having played in the league himself, but he recently revealed that the secret to winning comes down to playing hard.
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