In two years as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, JJ Redick has done a phenomenal job: 50 wins in year one and 53 the following season. He handled the transition from the Anthony Davis and LeBron James era to the Luka Doncic era incredibly well.
Throughout his two-season tenure, Redick has been everything fans, Rob Pelinka, and the front office could ask for. However, in Game 5 of the Lakers' first-round matchup with the Houston Rockets, Redick failed.
With the return of Austin Reaves to LA's backcourt, things were looking up. LeBron James finally had a fellow All-Star-level talent to lean on. However, the Lakers were crushed by the Rockets 99-93, and a major reason was Redick's poor game plan.
Throughout his 15-year playing career, Redick built a reputation as a knockdown 3-point shooter and someone who consistently punished opponents from distance. In Game 5, the Lakers seemed to be playing in the 1990s, as they refused to shoot the 3-ball.
All season, the Lakers have been a team that prioritizes the highest-percentage shot no matter the circumstance, but their reluctance to shoot from beyond the arc sunk them in Game 5. Houston went 14-of-40 from 3 compared to the Lakers’ 7-of-27, and it played a big part in the Rockets getting the series back to a manageable 3-2.
Lakers’ 3-point identity disappeared in Game 5 yet again
Game 5 was incredibly close at times. The Lakers trailed by just five points with under two minutes to play, which puts into perspective just how different things could’ve been if they had made or taken a couple more shots from outside.
With two elite-level snipers like Luke Kennard and Rui Hachimura on the roster, the Lakers could’ve easily flipped the script of this game, had Redick relied more on LA’s perimeter scoring. Watching Kennard take just four total shots and only two triples, despite being one of LA’s most productive and efficient scorers through the first three games of the series, was brutal.
The Lakers were always going to be outmatched physically, dominated in the paint, and outworked on the glass, but their equalizer to these margins was the deep ball. Through the first three games of the series, LA’s ability to space the floor and knock down shots from outside helped them beat the Rockets.
For some reason, Redick veered away from that strategy, as the Lakers' offense became more reliant on Deandre Ayton and paint scoring than spacing out.
Sure, Houston has really stepped up their defense on the perimeter. These past two games, the Rockets have brought way more activity and done a better job of chasing shooters off the line. But they aren’t doing anything defensively at a high enough level for the Lakers to have just two 3s attempted in the third quarter.
Come playoff time, margins are razor-thin, and Game 5 was a reminder that even small missteps can swing an entire series. The Lakers don’t need to reinvent themselves to close this series out. Redick just needs to recommit to spacing the floor and empowering his shooters if LA wants to finish the job.
Add us as a preferred source on Google