The Los Angeles Lakers have had a tough stretch of games recently. Missing LeBron James and others added a different challenge. But playing four games in five days has to be taxing on the players. Still, one thing that doesn’t change is their intent. JJ Redick emphasizes playing hard and competing every night. And one of the players he has used to implement his strategies is Jordan Goodwin.

The guard is one of the two-way players for the Lakers. But he has become a gem in the eyes of the Laker Nation. It’s easy to see why. Goodwin plays with intensity on both ends of the floor and embraces the challenges Redick throws at him. Tonight, in the last game of the five-day stretch, he had his best game, producing 15 points in the win against the Spurs.

But despite the best recovery techniques available for players, it’s a battle against fatigue. Goodwin knows it, but rather than letting the thought drown him, he is just focused on being ready for every game. “Personally I haven’t been like thinking about it. Trying not to think about it. Just trying to get extra treatment or whatever it is I can so my body can be prepared to play but it’s definitely… I mean it’s here we in the middle of it so you feel it,” said the two-way player.

With Redick missing out on both LeBron James and Rui Hachimura in arguably the most demanding stretch of the season, Goodwin’s role has been amplified. And thus far, he’s impressed the coach. Even the players around him see his value. Notably, Austin Reaves is confused about how a player with the heart of Goodwin doesn’t have a standard contract.

He’s thankful that he gets to play with him. “I bet you anybody that’s played with him enjoy it because he does all the things that are right. Big shout out to him,” Reaves said about the 26-year-old. And he isn’t the only one raving about the Lakers’ two-way guard. Even a legend thinks Rob Pelinka needs to do what the Laker Nation desperately wants.

The complications that arise with Jordan Goodwin

Nobody thought the Los Angeles Lakers would see such a drastic change after they parted ways with Anthony Davis. The advent of Luka Doncic has truly changed the landscape for the Purple and Gold. However, having a gifted passer besides LeBron James isn’t the only reason for their improvements. JJ Redick has crafted a defensive scheme that wouldn’t be possible without some players devoting themselves to becoming impact-makers for the Lakers.

Jaxson Hayes keeps running up and down the floor, Austin Reaves has stepped up defensively and Vanderbilt is blowing up plays just as Redick envisioned he would. However, a diamond the Lakers found is Jordan Goodwin. He has made a great impression on the squad. Even James Worthy is impressed.

“He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. He doesn’t take ill-advised shots,” James Worthy said about the Lakers guard. Goodwin is another player who expends energy and competes every time. Those are the primary principles on which JJ Redick’s tactics rely. “He’s a gritty player, a good defensive player… He’s a player you wanna keep around,” Worthy added.

Every fan will probably agree with Worthy. Moreover, if up to him, even JJ Redick might convert him to a standard contract too. However, the roster limitations made things complicated as he said. In order to make space for Goodwin, the Lakers will have to buy out or find a way to relieve themselves of a player under contract as they are carrying a maximum of 15 players.

Somebody like Trey Jemison is also restricted from playing in the playoffs due to being a two-way player. While it is possible for Rob Pelinka to do so, it isn’t as simple. The Lakers will need to look at the financials. Also, JJ Redick will have a good idea of the urgency once the Lakers return to full strength.

But with what Jordan Goodwin has done in the short time with the Lakers, some team is surely going to look to provide him with a contract next year.