Lakers News: JJ Redick Credits Behind the Scenes Mastermind for Solving Team’s 1 Huge Struggle

JJ Redick shows signs of true leadership early in his coaching stint! The 40-year-old officially kick-started his career as head coach of the LA Lakers with a convincing win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Anthony Davis & Co. ticked all the boxes both on the defensive and offensive ends. However, one particular improvement that the team struggled with last season impressed the new coach. Most importantly, Redick didn’t take the credit for the improvement but gave it to his special assistant.

Turnovers were a problem that troubled the Lakers throughout last season. During the 2023-24 season, in the first 29 games, the team struggled to control their turnovers, leaking 13.8 turnovers per game. It directly impacted the results of the games, as they held a 15-14 record. And, it didn’t seem to improve as the season progressed. However, in Tuesday’s game, the LA side surprisingly committed only 7 turnovers in the opening game, which is 8 fewer than the Wolves’ 15.

Addressing the team’s improvement in ball possession battles and turnovers, a reporter asked JJ Redick about his new formula for the team in the post-game press conference. The former Clippers player said, “The very first thing I said to our team. We’ve to be better in possession battle… They did that tonight.” Following that, he went on to give credit to one of his coaching staff for influencing the change by saying, “I believe, Max, our coaching analytics coach. She was at Minnesota, the least amount turnovers they forced last year was eight. And we came in with seven,” indirectly proved that he is a capable leader by crediting his assistants.

However, when we looked at the Lakers’ staff list, we couldn’t find “Max” on the list. Maybe Redick got the name wrong. Currently, the team has three staff members working in analyst roles: Diana Ma (Basketball Data Analyst), Cooper Chia (Basketball Analyst), and Harry Heffernan (Basketball Analyst). Perhaps the new coach isn’t very familiar with his support staff yet.

What to expect from JJ Redick in the coming months?

JJ Redick stressed something very clearly during his introductory press meet. Even though he considered the Lakers a championship-caliber team, he said he isn’t focused on winning the ring in the first season. Instead, the coach is more interested in player development and setting up a strong foundation for the years to come.

Looking at the player development aspect, we witnessed the exploits of Austin Reaves and Jaxon Hayes on opening night. The duo collectively put up 22 points and 13 rebounds. However, it was entirely Anthony Davis’ show; the star center was on his feet throughout the game, dropping 36 points with 16 rebounds. Impressed by AD’s performance, Charles Barkley exclaimed that the center could even come into the MVP conversation if he continues to stay healthy.

Importantly, there was a drawback in the performance. During the preseason, Redick stressed the importance of three-point shooting. He expected his players to attempt at least 40 three-pointers in a game. Meanwhile, the team attempted only 30 and managed to sink just 5 of them. Nevertheless, the team’s presence near the rim evened it out. The Lakers will next face the Phoenix Suns on Friday. Will JJ Redick continue his winning run? Let us know in the comments.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.