Last April, nearly 30 minutes into a conversation with defending NCAA champion coach Dan Hurley and then podcaster/broadcaster JJ Redick asked Hurley about a specific offensive play the Huskies executed.
By placing a non-shooting big man in the corner and throwing him a cross-court pass, the opposing center is forced out of the paint to guard the opposing center, creating passing, cutting and driving lanes.
“Where…did you steal this coin?” Redick asked Hurley on his podcast.
Friday, in his first match as the Lakers“, new head coach, Redick opened the match by stealing the set from Hurley. And although the play created an open three for Rui Hachimura, it did not lead to points.
It’s unclear if this was inspirational or a nice nod to the offseason planning where Redick became the Lakers’ head coach only after Hurley turned them down. What is clear, however, is that in the first week of Lakers basketball, Redick worked hard to starve himself of results, instead encouraging his team and himself to go for it in the process.
Fortunately for the Lakers, results don’t matter at the moment.
Learn more: D’Angelo Russell Takes No Shots When He Talks About JJ Redick’s ‘High IQ’
Despite some good moments from a few young players, the Lakers’ preseason opener and Redick’s tenure got off to a rocky start, with Minnesota dominating in a 124-107 Timber wolves win Friday night at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert.
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis starting the game and Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle sitting out for Minnesota, the role players had plenty of opportunities to stand out.
For the Lakers, that meant rookie Dalton Knecht and third-year guard Max Christie showed they could be a part of Redick’s rotation.
Knecht made seven of 13 shots and finished with 16 points, tied with Austin Reaves for the team lead. Christie scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
Rookie Bronny James, playing for the first time in his NBA career, scored his only points on a left-handed layup late in the fourth quarter with the Lakers down by 20. The crowd erupted. He also blocked three shots.
James is not expected to figure into the Lakers’ day-to-day plans this season, but who and how Redick will use his bench is still being calculated.
“I’ll just be honest, we preach organization and structure,” Redick said before the game. “We obviously give guys freedom within that structure, but I have to be able to trust you and know what’s going on on both ends of the pitch.”
Learn more: Lakers Newsletter: Max Christie tops list of young Lakers to watch in preseason
At first it seemed like no one was doing it.
The Lakers trailed by as many as 20 points in the first half, with Minnesota’s starters playing just one shift in the first quarter.
But led by Christie and Knecht, the Lakers got back into the game early in the fourth before Minnesota pulled away.
The Lakers, who have vowed to shoot more threes under Redick, shot 10 of 32 from deep.
The Lakers play again on Sunday, this time hosting Phoenix at Acrisure Arena.
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This story was originally published in Los Angeles Times.
