For someone who reveres Ernest Hemingway enough that he named his podcast after “The Old Man and the Sea,” the Lakers rookie coach JJ Redick should be familiar with one of their favorite author’s mantras.
“The first draft of everything is s—.”
It’s unclear how much of this Lakers season is a continuation of the draft they filed a year ago – with possessions routinely ending in stagnant isolation for LeBron James Or Anthony Davisthe Lakers who own the ball. Or, by hiring Redick, maybe the Lakers made a significant change, emphasizing better organization and an increase in three-point shooting.
Redick’s now-inactive podcast was, after all, called “The Old Man and the Three.”
The Lakers begin their new season Tuesday with a mandate for change. A second straight loss to the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs with just one total win between the series will force that.
Yet change might be difficult to achieve when the players on the field are largely the same. And change isn’t always for the better, with every day another click on James’ odometer that, in one of the NBA’s great mysteries, will eventually max out.
Learn more: Bronny James shines and Quincy Olivari chooses to stay with the Lakers
So, what are the things that are achievable under the team’s control? Can Redick’s philosophies fundamentally change who the Lakers are, further freeing up the most established players?
We’re about to find out.
As always
Whenever you talk about a team and its fortunes, you have to start with the team’s ability to stay as healthy as possible. Injuries undoubtedly had an impact on the Lakers’ fortunes last season. Some of Darvin Ham’s roster inconsistencies and reshuffling of starters may be related to the fact that Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura both missed parts of the season early in the year. And Gabe Vincent, the team’s big signing in free agency, was never healthy and sat out the regular season, leaving the Lakers without two of their best perimeter defenders in him and Vanderbilt .
Even though the rotation took a hit, the top of the roster was remarkably healthy. Davis only missed six games. Ditto for D’Angelo Russell. James was only 11 years old. Austin Reaves played the 82.
Although the combined 124 games missed by Vincent and Vanderbilt absolutely factored into the team’s performance, it’s safe to say that it influenced it less than having the top four scorers almost always on the roster. ground.
So yes, the Lakers’ fortunes this season will be tied to health, an area where James’ age and Davis’ past should always make them a little uncomfortable. Both players are returning from the Olympics and looked in excellent shape during the preseason. But Redick knows that these minutes in Paris could have long-term consequences and he will certainly monitor them.
Is there another level for Anthony Davis?
Early season attention around the Lakers will focus on James and his son and teammate, Bronny, who will make history when they become the first father-son duo to share the court together in the NBA. That moment could come as early as Tuesday, and that possibility has fueled much of the discussion within the team.
Yet, quietly, Davis has been one of the best players in the league this preseason.
“Be aggressive every time on the field. Be dominant in every match. I’m doing my job, I’m doing my part to help this team do what we need to do,” Davis said of his expectations of himself. “It’s taking on a game defensively, taking on an offensive role, being a leader of the team, taking us into games, playoffs, whatever it takes. We can’t rely a lot on our individual games and it’s obviously a team effort and what we’re trying to build.
“But for me personally, I’m taking it upon myself to make sure that I’m even better than what I was last year.”
He averaged 21.8 points in just 25.6 minutes (the second-best preseason average) — the kind of production and opportunity that Redick said he hopes to empower Davis with.
“I think we have not only one of the best players in the world, but also one of the most unique players in the world, Anthony Davis, because there are very few people who can do the things that he can fit his size in terms of his ball handling, his offensive skill level and certainly the fact that he’s one of the best defensive players in the world,” Redick said before training camp.
He also tried to make Davis more comfortable behind the three-point line, which he showed in his preseason finale in Phoenix when he scored four in the first quarter.
“It’s the will that’s exciting right now. …He must be willing. I think that’s the most important thing. I took out the first play of the game to make him shoot a three. And he knocked it down,” Redick said after the match. “And, whether it was out of confidence or relief, like he just did, he was ready to shoot tonight. And we want him ready to shoot. That doesn’t mean he’s going to take nine threes per game. I don’t think that’s realistic. But he has to sprinkle it in there. “
Offense will never be Davis’ main draw. He returned to the All-Defensive First Team for the first time in three seasons, although he still never won Defensive Player of the Year.
When asked during media day what parts of his defensive game were undervalued, he didn’t hesitate.
“All of it,” Davis said. “Every part.”
Internal growth
One of the most common criticisms around the league when it comes to the Lakers has been the team’s inability to win at the margins, to stack up the small victories that can build momentum and culminate into something bigger .
Under Redick, the team and organization have committed to the types of details he values. They’ve been hiring to bolster their analytics department and medical teams — areas that Redick actively monitors.
The coaching staff, led by former head coaches Scott Brooks and Nate McMillan, impressed those around the team. And the general “vibes,” in the words of several players, have been pretty good – the sort of thing you expect at the start of the tenure of any new coach and his team.
“They’ve built a coaching staff that holds everyone accountable,” LeBron James said. “But more importantly, they’re just making sure we’re taking in all the details, at a pace that’s good for all of us.”
The Lakers appear ready to give Reaves, Max Christie and rookie Dalton Knecht significant opportunities to play a crucial role, with Reaves poised to take an even bigger step under Redick’s system.
Learn more: Rookie Dalton Knecht shows why Lakers think they pulled off a draft steal
At least that’s the plan. The real tests, most believe, will come when adversity arises and adaptation is necessary.
On Sunday, two days before his first real game as coach, Redick looked like someone who understood that.
“You’re looking for ways to maximize your players within some of your own philosophies, and you also have to have some wiggle room to give them what they need (something) that maybe goes against of your philosophies,” he said. “And to be honest with you, there haven’t been many things like that. It’s basically the same page and everyone’s buy-in: coaches and players.
The first version of the Lakers, the one Redick saw in practice and in limited moments with the best players on the court in preseason games, may have looked good enough.
But as any Hemingway fan knows, those first drafts always leave room for improvement.
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This story was originally published in Los Angeles Times.
