"You get stuck in a limbo"- JJ Redick uses Christopher Nolan's $828M box office hit to describe Lakers' transition defense
It's no secret that JJ Redick loves Christopher Nolan movies, and he drew on one of them to describe the LA Lakers' transition defense. Redick emphasized being stuck in limbo, akin to the concept in "Inception," where limbo represents a realm of endless subconsciousness.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday ahead of their preseason game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Redick was asked about his expectations for his team's transition defense. He said he simply wants the Lakers to improve from last season, wherein they were last in terms of "limbo rate."
"We have a limbo rate," Redick said. "Limbo is you're not crashing and you're not getting back. We were the worst team in the league last year at the Limbo rate. In an ideal world, everybody crashes and we deal with the consequences of that.
He added:
"So we've got to sort of emphasize that and emphasize staying out of limbo. I believe that was 'Inception'. We all know what happens when you get stuck in limbo."
Limbo rate is not just JJ Redick's nod to Nolan's film. It's a real stat tracked by the Lakers since last season when Darvin Ham was still in charge. It's a stat that measures players' actions during transition defense.
Limbo takes into account what players do two to three seconds after a missed shot and assesses their "next-play mentality" and their reaction times.
Here's what Ham said about the limbo rate back in January, according to Lakers Nation:
"I just think not getting discouraged, that's the biggest thing. We have this thing where it's a new stat called a limbo rate. And you got to get to understand you have to have a next-play mentality. Regardless of what happens on the floor, you turn the ball over, you try to make a competitive play, great. The unforced turnovers are the ones that really hurt you."
With JJ Redick at the helm, the Lakers are expected to adopt an analytics-driven approach.
JJ Redick on being a fan of Christopher Nolan movies
In an interview with GQ Magazine back in 2017, JJ Redick opened up about being a fan of Christopher Nolan movies. Redick revealed his passion for films and called Nolan, who is famous for films such as "The Dark Night" and "Inception," his favorite director.
"I'm a Christopher Nolan fiend, Redick said. "I love 'Inception,' 'Interstellar,' 'The Prestige,' 'Memento' and of course the Batman trilogy. I love all his movies."
While not a director himself, Redick has a background in media, primarily focusing on podcasting and NBA analysis prior to taking on the role of head coach.