'The task at hand': How Lakers coach JJ Redick stays focused

6 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X LinkedIn Threads Reddit WhatsApp Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. It hasn’t been Oklahoma City’s superstar burying the Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals. That’s what’s made this series so vexing for the shorthanded Lakers. After the Thunder dominated the Lakers in minutes without reigning most valuable player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the court in Game 2, flexing their superior depth, athleticism and pace, Lakers coach JJ Redick said the team had to “look at everything.” The second-year Lakers coach is the latest to face a problem that almost no one in the NBA has solved. How do you stop the inevitable when it comes to the Oklahoma City Thunder? The defending NBA champions rolled to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals despite relatively quiet performances from Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder put the Lakers in danger of getting swept out of the playoffs for just the 10th time in franchise history. Playing without Luka Doncic, the NBA’s leading scorer, the Lakers can only continue to do what they’ve done all year: adapt. “The thing I love about the playoffs,” Redick said before the Lakers’ second-round series, “is you only can worry about the task at hand.” Readers of the Los Angeles Times Sport section give their thoughts on the Lakers, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Mike Trout and the Angels, the Kings and more. The Lakers have already shown their resilience this postseason by winning a first-round playoff series over the Houston Rockets in six games despite being without their superstar guard and only getting second-leading scorer Austin Reaves back for two games. When the star guards both suffered regular season-ending injuries against the Thunder on April 2, it looked like a sure disaster. The Lakers were just beginning to show their potential as a team. They grieved through a three-game losing streak. They regrouped. Then they won. “Going through this series, we could have really folded a little bit and could have had a lot of all type of excuses,” center Deandre Ayton said after the Lakers polished off the first-round series, “but I felt that we came in, JJ didn’t give a damn who was out there with him.” Between shocking trades and major injuries, it’s felt like Redick has coached at least six different teams during his first two seasons. His intense focus can help take the emotion out of any unforeseen circumstance. Whether it’s a blockbuster trade that brought Doncic to L.A. or an untimely injury that sidelines the superstar guard at the most important time of the season, Redick is able to compartmentalize each day’s mission. “He just stays locked into what he has to do in the moment,” said Stan Van Gundy, who coached Redick in Orlando and is now an analyst for Amazon Prime Video. “He’s as focused as anybody you’ll run into.” Lakers coach JJ Redick gives instructions to guard Luka Doncic during a game in March. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Sometimes Redick’s tasks are simply checking in with certain players. Other times it’s cooking up new plays with the coaches. Redick focuses fully on each one at a time. Learning to prioritize the tasks has kept him more sane during his second season in one of the most high-profile coaching jobs in sports, he said. “A little more sane,” Redick clarified with a bashful grin. The Lakers guard still sees Redick combusting on the Lakers’ bench after a particularly egregious turnover or a missed assignment. He saved his ire for officials during the Lakers’ Game 2 loss in Oklahoma City during which Redick received a technical foul. Redick got into heated exchanges with Doncic and Jarred Vanderbilt this season. The video clips went viral, casting doubt on Redick’s relationship with players, especially the moment with Doncic in February. But Redick maintained both were ordinary conversations among competitive people. Even after Redick’s sideline dust-ups, Reaves knows he can still talk it through with the coaching staff. “It just shows the care factor,” Reaves said. “Like there’s no bad intentions with any of it. … It’s a healthy relationship. It’s not just with myself, it’s the whole team. Everybody can talk to one another. It’s not just us to coaching staff, it’s player to player, coaching staff to coaching staff, we all hold each other accountable and it’s a beautiful thing to see.” Lakers coach JJ Redick reviews his notes before a game against the Utah Jazz in April. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) In his second season at the helm, Redick set out to make a player-led team culture. Redick and his staff intentionally let players discuss between themselves during timeouts before coaches join the huddle. For as much spotlight head coaches get in the NBA, a team’s culture ultimately comes down to players, Van Gundy

'The task at hand': How Lakers coach JJ Redick stays focused

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'The task at hand': How Lakers coach JJ Redick stays focused

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