'the Task At Hand': How Lakers Coach Jj Redick Stays Focused

It hasn’t been Oklahoma City’s superstar burying the Lakers successful nan Western Conference semifinals. That’s what’s made this bid truthful vexing for nan shorthanded Lakers.

After nan Thunder dominated nan Lakers successful minutes without reigning astir valuable subordinate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander connected nan tribunal successful Game 2, flexing their superior depth, athleticism and pace, Lakers coach JJ Redick said nan squad had to “look astatine everything.” The second-year Lakers coach is nan latest to look a problem that almost nary 1 successful nan NBA has solved.

How do you extremity nan inevitable erstwhile it comes to nan Oklahoma City Thunder?

The defending NBA champions rolled to a 2-0 lead successful nan best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals contempt comparatively quiet performances from Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder put nan Lakers successful threat of getting swept retired of nan playoffs for conscionable nan 10th clip successful franchise history.

Playing without Luka Doncic, nan NBA’s starring scorer, nan Lakers tin only proceed to do what they’ve done each year: adapt.

“The point I emotion astir nan playoffs,” Redick said earlier nan Lakers’ second-round series, “is you only tin interest astir nan task astatine hand.”

The Lakers person already shown their resilience this postseason by winning a first-round playoff bid complete nan Houston Rockets successful six games contempt being without their superstar defender and only getting second-leading scorer Austin Reaves backmost for 2 games.

When nan prima guards some suffered regular season-ending injuries against nan Thunder connected April 2, it looked for illustration a judge disaster. The Lakers were conscionable opening to show their imaginable arsenic a team.

They grieved done a three-game losing streak. They regrouped. Then they won.

“Going done this series, we could person really folded a small spot and could person had a batch of each type of excuses,” halfway Deandre Ayton said aft nan Lakers polished disconnected nan first-round series, “but I felt that we came in, JJ didn’t springiness a damn who was retired location pinch him.”

Between shocking trades and awesome injuries, it’s felt for illustration Redick has coached astatine slightest six different teams during his first 2 seasons. His aggravated attraction tin thief return nan emotion retired of immoderate unforeseen circumstance. Whether it’s a blockbuster waste and acquisition that brought Doncic to L.A. aliases an untimely wounded that sidelines nan superstar defender astatine nan astir important clip of nan season, Redick is capable to compartmentalize each day’s mission.

“He conscionable stays locked into what he has to do successful nan moment,” said Stan Van Gundy, who coached Redick successful Orlando and is now an expert for Amazon Prime Video. “He’s arsenic focused arsenic anybody you’ll tally into.”

Lakers coach JJ Redick gives instructions to defender Luka Doncic during a crippled successful March.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Sometimes Redick’s tasks are simply checking successful pinch definite players. Other times it’s cooking up caller plays pinch nan coaches. Redick focuses afloat connected each 1 astatine a time. Learning to prioritize nan tasks has kept him much sane during his 2nd play successful 1 of nan astir high-profile coaching jobs successful sports, he said.

“A small much sane,” Redick clarified pinch a bashful grin.

Reaves isn’t buying it.

The Lakers defender still sees Redick combusting connected nan Lakers’ chair aft a peculiarly egregious turnover aliases a missed assignment. He saved his ire for officials during nan Lakers’ Game 2 nonaccomplishment successful Oklahoma City during which Redick received a method foul.

Redick sewage into heated exchanges pinch Doncic and Jarred Vanderbilt this season. The video clips went viral, casting uncertainty connected Redick’s narration pinch players, particularly nan infinitesimal pinch Doncic successful February. But Redick maintained some were mean conversations among competitory people.

Even aft Redick’s sideline dust-ups, Reaves knows he tin still talk it done pinch nan coaching staff.

“It conscionable shows nan attraction factor,” Reaves said. “Like there’s nary bad intentions pinch immoderate of it. … It’s a patient relationship. It’s not conscionable pinch myself, it’s nan full team. Everybody tin talk to 1 another. It’s not conscionable america to coaching staff, it’s subordinate to player, coaching unit to coaching staff, we each clasp each different accountable and it’s a beautiful point to see.”

Lakers coach JJ Redick reviews his notes earlier a crippled against nan Utah Jazz successful April.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

In his 2nd play astatine nan helm, Redick group retired to make a player-led squad culture. Redick and his unit intentionally fto players talk betwixt themselves during timeouts earlier coaches subordinate nan huddle.

For arsenic overmuch spotlight caput coaches get successful nan NBA, a team’s civilization yet comes down to players, Van Gundy said. What coaches do is get and elevate nan players who person nan taste traits nan squad needs. For nan Lakers this season, it’s been astir adaptability.

LeBron James exemplified nan mantra erstwhile he shape-shifted from nan high-usage prima he’s been for much than 2 decades to nan astir accomplished tertiary action successful NBA history. When Reaves and Doncic were hurt, James turned backmost nan timepiece again to prima successful nan Lakers’ first-round bid win.

The high-impact performances person trickled down nan roster.

Rui Hachimura changeable a career-best 44.3% connected threes during nan regular play and 58.6% from 3 successful nan first round. Long criticized for inconsistent energy, Ayton reemerged arsenic a postseason unit successful nan first round. Marcus Smart resurrected his profession arsenic a tenacious defender astatine 32 years old. Luke Kennard’s emergence arsenic an emergency constituent defender was a late-season revelation. Jaxson Hayes was retired of nan postseason rotation past twelvemonth and is now an important counterpunch down Ayton.

“[Redick] has recovered ways to maximize each of these guys, whether it’s done motivation, Xs and O’s aliases both,” Van Gundy said. “He’s really, really been awesome successful what he’s done, and it’s not an easy point to do.”

Redick, who ne'er coached extracurricular of his sons’ younker teams earlier taking nan Lakers job, became nan first coach to lead nan Lakers to back-to-back 50-win seasons since Phil Jackson successful 2009-10 and 2010-11. Redick held backmost tears erstwhile wide head Rob Pelinka presented him pinch nan crippled shot successful nan locker room connected March 31 and showed a video of Redick’s sons, Knox and Kai, congratulating their dad.

When asked astir joining a database of Lakers coaches that includes Jackson and Pat Riley, Redick demurred. He doesn’t merit nan mention, he said.

“I’ve sewage a batch near to accomplish, for sure,” Redick said.

He’s focused connected nan adjacent play.