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We all know JJ Redick is a basketball sicko.
You know, the type of guy who rewatches games in a dark basement to pore over what he and the Lakers could’ve done better.
On Friday, we got a glimpse of what his staff is doing behind the scenes.
Redick said his analytics team used the three-day break between games to prepare a 21-page presentation on the Lakers, who have won seven games in a row and have the NBA’s best record at 11-2.
The coaches reviewed it for 1 ½ hours on Friday and presented it to the players.
“Being first in the West, with the stuff that they showed us, you would think we were almost last, you know?” Ziaire Williams said, flashing a smile. “But gotta keep us honest.”
One of the main goals?
“We know we want to be a top-10 defense,” Redick said. “We know we are not going to be able to do that unless we become better than a bottom-10 transition team and better than a bottom-10 defensive rebounding team.”
While the Lakers are leading the league in steals per game (11), are third in blocks per game (6.2) and are second in total deflections (257), they’re greatly struggling in other areas defensively.
The Lakers are rated 18th defensively and 26th in rebounding (40.8).
Redick also identified transition defense as another area in which they need to improve.
“Some of the transition stuff is live-ball turnovers,” Redick said. “We’re at a 10% live-ball turnover rate. So one out of every 10 possessions is a live-ball turnover that’s going to create a transition possession.”
As for offense?
Despite being the top-rated team in the league offensively, the Lakers have multiple areas in which they want to improve, including bolstering their third unit, which has notoriously squandered leads late in games.
Redick pointed out that Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero are still playing catch-up after missing time due to various injuries.
Lakers assistant coach Scott Brooks is trying to get them up to speed.
“He took those guys for a classroom setting [Friday],” Redick said. “We just need to coach them more. Not going to put it all on them. They need to be able to run offense, though.
“I think that’s the biggest thing. It’s unacceptable to just consistently be calling offensive plays and then they come down and jack a 3 with 18 on the shot clock. We’re trying to use time and be organized.”
Redick, whom the Lakers hired to take over the helm in June 2024 despite having no prior coaching experience, has shined in his role.
He led the Lakers to back-to-back 50-win seasons for the first time since Phil Jackson in 2007-2011.
He has a clear idea of what he wants the Lakers’ identity to be on both sides of the court.
Offensively?
“Organized, unselfish and advantage-based,” he said.
Defensively?
“Organized, physical as f–k and relentless,” he added.
