PHOTO: Lakers coach JJ Redick gets "guards" a win with stellar defense on Jaxson Hayes
JJ Redick showed his underrated defense when he was with the Philadelphia 7ers. His pesky defense was one of the things he improved throughout his career. Now, the LA Lakers head coach is putting some of those defensive efforts to good effect when the Purple and Gold practiced with a guards vs bigs drill.
Redick, a sharpshooter during his playing days took on big Jaxson Hayes and bagged a win for the guards.
Here's a quick look at the scrimmage that pit LeBron James vs Bronny, Anthony Davis vs Austin Reaves, and D'Angelo Russell vs Hayes.
The Lakers appear to be in good spirits after opening their season with a solid 110-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this week. They weren't clinical, but Redick's gameplan was in full flow as LA got off on a winning note.
The win also saw the Lakers break their seven-year opening-night victory drought. Up next, LA plays the Phoenix Suns at the Crypto.com Arena on Friday night. Both teams have played twice in the preseason already.
"We trust him": JJ Redick has Anthony Davis' faith as Lakers get off to a solid start
Speaking to the media in the aftermath of the win, Lakers superstar Anthony Davis had his props for JJ Redick. The big spoke of the trust the former NBA star had earned from his players and how they were brought into his methods of coaching.
"The game plan, the schemes that he had on both ends of the floor, he trusts us. We trust him, as far as what he teaches us, what he wants us to do on the floor on both ends and it’s our job to go execute it."
JJ Redick’s communication, preparedness, and structure — the Lakers' Media Day keyword were reported to be the primary popular talking points among the players. For now, the belief is that a continued roster and minor adjustments on both ends of the floor will help the current group compete for a championship in the West.
There will be instances where the Lakers will endure a rough run this season, but the side, irrespective of swinging a trade or not ahead of the deadline will look to trend in the right direction as they gear up for a challenging slate of games in the next few days. Only time will tell if LA can make a deep playoff run in a stacked Western Conference.