J Redick is hitting his strides in Lakerland, with stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis having bought into his plans. Two games into the preseason, the rookie coach with no experience has been a hit in the locker room for various reasons, mainly because of his detail-oriented approach.
NBA insider Shams Charania reported the latest around Redick on Thursday, pointing out the factors that have led to great early vibes around the Lakers camp.
“The early sense is how detail-oriented JJ Redick is, the focus that he has and how much he leaves, eats and digests basketball on a daily basis, that is what everyone that I speak to says about JJ Redick,” Charania said on ESPN’s Get Up.
“I had one person with the Lakers tell me the other day is, how much accountability and how detailed he is and focused, with his game planning, his prep, his out-of-bounds plays. That is what gets players up and gets them excited about this. And right now, he has Anthony Davis and LeBron James’ buy-in.”
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One of the biggest questions around Redick was his ability to get the buy-in from James, Davis and the players as a first-time coach. His basketball IQ and schematic approach were always predicted to be spot on, owing to the knowledge he displayed on his podcasts and as a broadcaster.
The Lakers players on media day and during training camp have often hailed Redick for the same things as Charania described. The vibe was significantly different last year than it’s now with Redick, under former coach Darvin Ham’s tenure, which has picked up the energy in the Lakers camp.
JJ Redick’s Lakers look solid offensively in first two preseason outings
JJ Redick made his intent clear about modernizing the Lakers’ offense and working on their weaknesses from last year. In LA’s first two games, there are glimpses of the team’s uptick in some areas he’s mentioned in his interviews since his hiring.
The Lakers are looking to shoot more 3s and have improved their ball and player movement. The playcalling rate and execution have been better, especially when the main rotation players have played. Every player seems to have a great understanding of their respective roles.
The Lakers played with a lot of randomness and lack of structure under Darvin Ham’s tenure. That didn’t help the Lakers maximize the talent on their roster.
That has seemingly stood out for several players on the team, who have found their niche playing in Redick’s system, albeit super early into the new season.