Any time that a team can be blessed with a gift like the one which the Los Angeles Lakers have, it is important to maximize its value. JJ Redick has quickly positioned his group to do that.
Having Luka Doncic and LeBron James entering the 2025 NBA Playoffs gives the Lakers two figureheads leading their team that can easily rival anything that their competitors can counter with. Making sure those two superstars are put in the right positions where they can shine brightest is crucial.
There was always going to be several factors that needed to be figured out about how this talented duo would function. Thankfully for the Lakers and their fans, Redick has solved the most important part of the equation.
Redick's quick adaptation established formula for boosting title hopes
Doncic and James are both players who have been described as 'floor raisers' throughout their NBA careers. The latter of the two has that status slightly in question nowadays, in his advanced years, but a unit can only function so poorly when there is a clear sun that the planets around it can orbit. Perhaps that is why so many refer to LeBron as their sunshine.
All jokes aside, having one of those two players on the court is a key formula for success if you are the Lakers. Redick appears to know this fact quite well. The rookie head coach has already solved the puzzle of how to stagger minutes to optimize his rotations.
That is an impressive feat for Redick, considering there are seasoned NBA coaches who can still struggle with that all important aspect. It was something that the Lakers head coach received a ton of praise for on The Zach Lowe Show.
"JJ's completely figured out how to stagger the minutes in the best ways now," Bill Simmons told Zach Lowe. "When you watch them, they always have offense. It's 48 minutes and everybody's involved in the right ways."
Having multiple creators on the floor at all times is something that Redick has really honed in on towards the end of the season. The results were on full display down the stretch for the Lakers. Los Angeles had a top 10 offensive rating (120.0) during the last 10 games of the 82-game campaign.
Who wins the coaching matchup can often provide a big x-factor towards how a series will unfold. The Lakers can rest assured they are in good hands with Redick steering the ship.