Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick says two years on the bench have already reshaped his approach to the job, pointing to lessons learned during back-to-back 50-win campaigns and an upcoming first-round matchup with the Houston Rockets.
“You can always get better at some stuff—that’s the beauty of this profession,” Redick told reporters after the regular-season finale. “I’m so excited for this week and this series, because there are things I’ve learned over the past two regular seasons and one playoff series that I’m excited about for this upcoming stretch.”
The turnaround under Redick
Redick was hired before the 2024-25 season. Prior to his arrival, the Lakers had posted only one 50-win year since 2010-11 and had finished in the Western Conference’s top six just once since 2011-12. In each of Redick’s first two seasons, Los Angeles reached 50 victories and secured a top-four seed despite what he described as “significant turbulence.”
The coach, however, is still searching for his first postseason series win. The Lakers enter the series against Houston as underdogs following injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Lessons from last postseason
Redick’s debut playoff series—a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves—served as a crash course. He said that experience, combined with a full week of preparation between the regular season and the playoffs, has him eager for another “opportunity to grow.”
Ayton expects a bruising series
Center Deandre Ayton, who helped the Lakers to two late-season victories in Houston, anticipates a physical battle with the Rockets. “They’ve been known as a physical team since I got into the league,” Ayton said. “That’s the fun part about the postseason. The physicality turns up a little bit, and they let us play—and I like that.”
Game 1 of the best-of-seven series opens later this week at Crypto.com Arena.
Source: Lakers Nation
