As the Los Angeles Lakers begin a long summer, their elimination to the Minnesota Timberwolves was particularly frustrating as self-inflicted wounds led to their demise. JJ Redick, who had been great all season, showcased that he was a rookie head coach in this first-round series.
Despite a terrific debut season, Redick struggled to make necessary adjustments, particularly in crunchtime on offense. There was no structure and isolation play led to poor shots at the end of the shot clock.
Game 4 was Redick’s boldest decision as he opted to play Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James and Dorian Finney-Smith the entire second half. This decision was hotly debated when the Lakers went on to lose, but Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul defended the head coach, via NBA insider Chris Haynes:
“You’re trying to win the game. He’s playing the players that he feels like can win the game. You can be a backseat driver all you want. The last thing you’re thinking about is anyone being fatigued when you’re in a do-or-die situation and trying to win the game. Just like you may be 300 pounds but if you walk past that house and that dog come out that driveway, you’re taking off and you’re gonna have to hit that gate. And guess what, in a normal instance, you may not be able to hit that gate the same way but out of fear, you may jump that gate in a single leap.”
Paul brings up a good point that this particular five-man lineup was L.A.’s most-used lineup to close out games. But the issue was that fatigue caught up with them and they weren’t able to hold onto a late lead while the bench rotation players watching on from the sidelines.
While the decision was met with a lot of criticism, if the Lakers were able to come out with a win then it may not have been a talking point. Frankly, Minnesota proved that the Lakers’ roster is not deep enough and does not have enough playoff-level players to beat upper-echelon opponents.
That is what this offseason is about, rounding out a team that better suits Doncic, while bringing in more size on the wing and center position. With a more well-rounded roster, time will tell if these decisions made by Redick result in early playoff exits or if he will learn from his mistakes and be better in his second season.
Rob Pelinka gives JJ Redick vote of confidence
The Lakers have been looking for stability in terms of a head coach and they believed JJ Redick would be with the franchise for years to come. He provided immediate results with a 50-win season and secured a top-three seed in an ultra-competitive Western Conference.
Despite a disappointing postseason appearance, general manager Rob Pelinka did not waver on his support of Redick following an all-around positive first season.
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