In his two seasons in charge, JJ Redick has coached many iterations and versions of the Lakers. He’s navigated a franchise-altering trade, a slew of injuries and flawed rosters.
This offseason offered a chance for the Lakers to not only build a team around Luka Dončić but also one to Redick’s liking. After back-to-back 50-win seasons under the aforementioned circumstances, what does a Redick-led team look like when it’s to his liking?
In our second mailbag piece, we look at a number of questions about Redick, schemes and bigger picture topics.
OldSchoolBaller
With all of the changes made, and could still be made, for me, the biggest storyline coming out of the offseason is: can JJ Redick pull all of these new faces together into a winning unit. His coaching chops will either be made….or not.
While I don’t think it was the intention of the question to frame it as a make-or-break season for Redick, I think it bears repeating that he has been great in his first two seasons overall. He’s had mistakes and flaws, but he’s also won 103 regular season games and an improbable playoff series.
That being said, this is a new challenge for him. He has a philosophy and, presumably, this team represents it. It may not present the challenges that previous teams did, but it will be a stress test of his philosophies.
This team has clearly prioritized offense this summer and it’s hard to imagine that not being part of Redick’s vision. It’s definitely not a make or break year for Redick, but it could be a defining one.
Section80
how worried should we be that jj is going to overplay his starters this season? what do you think his regular season rotation actually looks like… a 8 or 9 man rotation? or will he actively force developmental minutes for young guys early in the year to protect our core for the playoffs?
The team definitely has more depth this season and, as noted, have young players that need minutes. I also fully expect one more move to bring in a player who can start on the perimeter, too.
As things stand right now, I’d imagine the starting lineup is going to be Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, a player to be traded for and Walker Kessler. I also think Redick would lean toward a nine-man rotation, but I think the only players locked into minutes are Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelashvili.
If I were a guessing man, heading into the preseason, I’d say the other two spots right now would go to Jake LaRavia and Matisse Thybulle. If no move is made to acquire a perimeter player, then I’d imagine Mamu moves to the starting lineup and Ziaire Williams takes the last rotation spot.
That does show how open the back end of the rotation could be because Cameron Carr, Adou Thiero, Williams and Bronny James all have arguments to be included and all will likely get their chance.
Redick was very willing to give Dalton Knecht minutes early in his rookie season, so I think the young guys could easily earn minutes to open the year. But it’ll be a competition that very well could yield positive results in the long run.
Deathlock
Will the defense going to improve now that Lebron is gone? 😆
Walter Burns
With the new personnel, also new defensive schemes? Do they improve rebounding? Less switching?
I know the first question is written tongue-in-cheek, but I would say that LeBron played a very important role as the vocal leader defensively. What he lacked in effort during those mid-January games, he made up for by letting the guys in front of him know what’s going on. Decades of basketball had him prepared for any defense a team would run.
Kessler will have to fill that role, but others will have to step up, too. Between LeBron and Marcus Smart, this team lost vocal leadership that young players will have to replace.
As for schemes, there’s definitely going to be a lot more drop coverage. I imagine that’ll be the base coverage about 90% of the time Kessler is on the floor. Who the backup center is will determine the other coverages they run. If it’s Mamu at center, I would think there will be a lot of switching. If it’s someone they trade for, perhaps it’s more drop coverage.
When it comes to rebounding, Kessler is a better rebounder statistically than Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes, especially on the offensive glass. Who the team lands as the backup center will determine whether they improve overall in rebounding.
Coops Knee Highs
Is the move to the Coachella Valley for the G Lakers a complete relocation; meaning will the team practice, train, conduct team meetings, receive treatment there, etc. or will they do it in El Segundo while then traveling to the desert only to play the games?
Everything for the G League will move out of the practice facility and to Coachella. The Lakers are renovating the areas of the facility dedicated to that team this summer. It’s a complete relocation.
There was certainly value in having the G League team in the same facility. It allowed the Lakers’ front office a chance to see the players up close. It also allowed the Lakers to semi-regularly assign players to the G League team for a practice.
Sometimes that was for seldom-used young players to get some run. Sometimes it was for LeBron James to practice during the final stages of his rehab. That was a unique advantage the Lakers had that few other teams did. It’s hard to imagine them continuing that.
They aren’t moving far away, obviously. And there will be new benefits coming in the team’s facility with the G League team gone. But it also does feel like a move made with money on the mind.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRudeor on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
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