The Lakers have discovered their chief.
After Mike Brown and Mike D’Antonio, after Byron Scott and Luke Walton, after Frank Vogel and Darvin Ham, they’ve discovered their chief.
The revolving door to the coach’s workplace has lastly stopped. JJ Redick is what the Lakers hoped he could be, and possibly much more.
The Lakers improved to 37-21 on Friday night time with a 106-102 victory over the Clippers at Imaginary-Cash-dot-com Enviornment, however this isn’t nearly their document.
They’re in fourth place within the Western Convention and are positioned to maneuver into second earlier than the top of the common season, however this isn’t nearly their place within the standings.
That is about how they play. That is about tradition.
Learn extra: Lakers maintain off Clippers after Austin Reaves injures calf
The gamers are shopping for what their rookie coach is promoting, and, instantly, the Lakers are taking part in higher protection than any crew within the NBA.
Who would have imagined, the Lakers holding their final six opponents to 102 or fewer factors within the wake of parting methods with their two finest defenders within the Luka Doncic commerce.
“That’s simply us,” LeBron James mentioned. “I imply, it’s who we’re at this level.”
Redick has jolted the Lakers the way in which Sean McVay did the Rams. Redick has made the Lakers a mirrored image of his persona the way in which Jim Harbaugh did with the Chargers.
Nearly 60 video games into Redick’s first season, the Lakers know who they’re, and the way typically has that been mentioned about them within the post-Phil Jackson years?
There was no assure Redick could be any totally different than Ham or Walton, the 2 different rookie coaches the Lakers employed lately.
Redick’s appointment invited skepticism, and rightly so. Redick wasn’t Dan Hurley, whom the Lakers wished to rent. Redick had no teaching or administration expertise above the youth stage. He was smug in a means that frauds typically are, and he was caught with principally the identical roster that sank Ham. He seemed like a Hail Mary.
Properly, the Lakers’ prayers have been answered, because the pretty-boy coach launched a hard-nosed, switch-heavy fashion to a franchise related to Showtime.
“Defensively is the place we hold our hat,” James mentioned. “It’s going to provide us an opportunity to win each night time.”
The victory over the Clippers marked a four-day stretch by which the Lakers performed three video games, every of them a victory. They went into their sport towards the Clippers with out Rui Hachimura, who was sidelined with a knee drawback, and emerged from the competition with out Austin Reaves, who went down with a calf damage.
The win capped a 10-2 month for the Lakers.
“It’s a tricky sport to play and to win,” Doncic mentioned. “I believe we confirmed our character at the moment.”
Reaves and Hachimura may very well be out of the beginning lineup for a few weeks, maybe longer, however the win demonstrated how they might survive with out them.
“Our group, they competed, they discovered a means,” Redick mentioned. “It was a rock battle on the market.”
The Lakers have the league’s highest-rated protection during the last six weeks or so, they usually as soon as once more suffocated their opponents on Friday night time. Their bench was credited with 9 of their 14 steals, together with 4 by Gabe Vincent and three by Jordan Goodwin, who’s on a two-way contract.
“It takes some time for a bunch to develop an id, takes some time for a bunch to develop a collective mentality,” Redick mentioned. “There’s been quite a lot of issues which have occurred this season. I felt just like the group, our ecosystem, was created, and it’s been sustained since mid-January.”
He was significantly happy with how his gamers continued to stay with the sport plan, which was to decelerate James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. Guard Kris Dunn burned them for 14 factors within the first half, however the Lakers didn’t waver. Dunn, who made six of seven pictures earlier than halftime, ultimately slowed down. Harden completed with 18 factors on five-of-22 taking pictures, together with considered one of 10 on threes.
“I like who we’re as a crew proper now,” Redick mentioned.
He’s not alone.
Late within the third quarter, one specific play by the Lakers drew a standing ovation, and it wasn’t a dunk by James or a 3 by Doncic.
On the sequence in query, Vanderbilt poked the ball away from Harden and threw himself on the court docket to get well it.
That is the newest incarnation of Lakers basketball. That is JJ Redick basketball, and it is going to be round for the foreseeable future.
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This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Instances.
