After much speculation, JJ Redick has been hired as the new head coach of the Lakers.
Redick has become a public figure after playing 15 seasons in the NBA, so his personality is certainly well-known. He also has familiarity with LeBron James from their "Mind the Game" podcast. But what does his coaching philosophy entail?
Redick has explained his thoughts on the game in great depth throughout numerous podcasts with James. That offers valuable insight on how he will coach the Lakers.
Redick was even grilled on his thoughts on the value of 3-point shooting during the duo's sixth podcast episode.
lebron with the least subtle hypothetical of all time 😭😭😂😂 pic.twitter.com/2zel5XqWe2
— claire de lune (@ClaireMPLS) May 8, 2024
Here's what we know about Redick's preferred style of play, and how it will change the Lakers going forward.
LAKERS HIRE JJ REDICK
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How JJ Redick will change the Lakers
The Lakers will shoot more 3s
Redick was a 3-point specialist, so the value of shooting certainly isn't lost on him.
"I believe math should play into it," Redick told James during the "Mind the Game" podcast.
"If you're going against a team that is going to shoot 40 to 45 3s, and you're going to shoot 25 to 30, you better f—ing nail all of your advantages. Otherwise, you're just not going to win. It's based on the math."
The Lakers were 28th in 3-point attempts this season. Expect that to go up substantially behind Redick.
Part of the reason for that low ranking was that Darvin Ham couldn't get the buy-in from players on his roster. He tried to get James and Anthony Davis to shoot more 3s, even urging Davis to shoot six 3s per game. That never came close to happening.
The Lakers did have a great offense after the All-Star break despite not shooting a ton of 3s, so perhaps there shouldn't be wholesale changes to the offense. Redick admitted that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, stating that "you have to have the personnel to do all these things."
The Lakers will embrace analytics more
Redick has seen the advancement of analytics firsthand given how its importance began to skyrocket at the start of his playing career, back when he was a rookie in Orlando.
"The first time I heard any of this analytic stuff was the very first meeting with Stan Van Gundy," Redick said.
"He comes in and he breaks down, 'This is what a free throw is worth. This is what a layup is worth. This is what a 3 is worth. And specifically, this is what a corner 3 is worth.' We're not going to have Tony Allen spotting up at 15 feet and shooting three of those because that's not an efficient shot."
The Lakers were the No. 2 team in the league in shooting at the rim, per Cleaning the Glass. Layups are still analytically the best shots in the game. Where Los Angeles could clean up its shot profile is from the midrange, where it was middle-of-the-pack, and in taking more corner 3s, where it ranked 21st in the league. Expect Redick to cut out some of those long 2 attempts.
Redick's view may conflict with James, who has told Redick that "there's a time and place for analytics to get the f— out."
MORE: Inside Lakers' turbulent coaching history
The Lakers will cut more and use more inverted pick-and-rolls
Redick has described his two favorite plays as inverted pick-and-rolls and split cuts in his "Mind the Game" podcast.
Split cuts are when a player gets the ball thrown into the post and the player who makes the entry pass will immediately screen away for the next-closest player. It's been made famous by the Warriors with Draymond Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
The Lakers haven't used a ton of elbow splits in their offense, but they have tried it from time to time with James and Davis. That could be incorporated a lot more, allowing those two to work as passing hubs out of the elbows and hit teammates cutting to the basket. The beautiful motion from Steve Kerr's offense could travel down south to Los Angeles.
Inverted pick-and-rolls are when a guard or wing sets a screen for a big man. The Lakers already do a lot of this with James getting a screen set by a guard to create a mismatch. That should continue, and we might even see Lakers centers getting a chance to run that action as well.
The Lakers will always foul up 3 at the end of games
Redick is a huge proponent of fouling when up 3 and sending an opponent to the line rather than allowing them to shoot a game-tying 3-pointer.
"I am fouling up 3 every single time. Every single time," Redick has said.
James has also said that he prefers to foul up 3, "but it has to be on the downward dribble."
Both noted that a team has to practice that scenario. Expect the Lakers to drill it down during training camp.
MORE: Will Lakers select Bronny James with No. 17 overall pick?
The Lakers may not try to push hard for 2-for-1s at the end of quarters
The 2-for-1, where a team tries to take a shot with around 35 seconds left in the quarter, has become a staple of the NBA. James is not a fan of the action, though, calling it one of his pet peeves.
"Why am I just going to dribble down and shoot a 40-footer with 33 seconds on the clock? Why not get a great look, because that great look at the end of the third, even if we only get one shot, may give us momentum going into the fourth."
Redick agreed with that logic, noting that as a commentator he sees the importance of momentum in games.
