One aspect of Lakers gives JJ Redick confidence against Thunder
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Los Angeles, CA — Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick said the team’s response to season-long adversity has him optimistic heading into the Western Conference semifinals against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Lakers reached the second round by eliminating the Houston Rockets in six games despite losing key starters Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to late-season injuries. “When you’re in the moment of despair, you can have doubts,” Redick told reporters after Game 6. “But the NBA season is about the aggregate. We lose two games in a row, three games in a row, the guys respond.”
Redick credited daily preparation for keeping the roster focused. “Sometimes as a coach you wish you could just do Xs and Os, but that’s a small portion of the job,” he said. “It’s building guys up, putting out fires, collaborating, trying to get the group to play for the right reasons.”
The first-year coach emphasized that player leadership has driven the club’s resilience. “The best teams are player-led teams,” he noted. “That has been the case forever.”
Collective effort against Houston
Redick pointed to balanced contributions as the decisive factor versus Houston. “The reason our team is winning is because of our team,” he said. “Each guy is starring in his role and contributing to winning.”
He highlighted the defensive work of centers Jaxson Hayes and Deandre Ayton after a tactical adjustment aimed at limiting Rockets center Alperen Şengün. “Those guys were phenomenal defensively and really did a great job of protecting the rim,” Redick added.
Los Angeles opens its best-of-seven series against Oklahoma City on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena. Doncic remains sidelined, but Redick expressed confidence his club will be prepared: “We could get the group back and build the belief and confidence and be able to execute and give ourselves an opportunity to win a playoff series — then go take on the World Champions and be competitive in that too.”
Source: LakersNation.com
