LOS ANGELES — Facing a season marred by injuries, Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick said the club has turned to zone defense to stabilize its play on the less glamorous end of the floor.
Speaking before the team entered the second half of the 2025-26 campaign with a 33-21 record and the Western Conference’s fifth seed, Redick outlined how the scheme has helped.
“I think it starts with setting up our defense and just eating up some clock,” he explained. “It’s not like teams are vastly underperforming from the mid-range or from three. Breaking up the flow of the game has been a good tool for us.”
Redick noted the Lakers are far from abandoning other coverages. “We’re going to have to play man, switch one through five, throw two on the ball like we did against Jamal Murray in Denver, and play some zone,” he said. “With this group it’s not going to be one thing. We’ve got to stay adaptable.”
The coach jokingly compared this season’s approach to last year’s strategy. “Last year our man was zone and this year our zone is man,” he said, adding that the concept remains uncomplicated despite the wording.
Los Angeles has leaned heavily on its star trio to keep the offense afloat. On defense, the zone look has provided enough resistance to “slow opponents down,” according to Redick, buying time while the roster heals.
Redick also praised LeBron James, now in his 23rd NBA season, for continuing to perform at an elite level. “You can’t take that for granted,” the first-year head coach said.
The Lakers last played on Jan. 4, 2026, a home matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena, where Redick’s sideline adjustments were on full display during the fourth quarter.
Source: LakersNation.com
