Last year's Los Angeles Lakers roster was a mess. After the Luka Doncic trade shook up the team, and the failed Mark Williams trade burned the franchise in more ways than one, JJ Redick got to an ugly breaking point in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Redick, a rookie coach at the time, did not trust the players on his roster a great deal. That was perfectly epitomized by Game 4 of the first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Everyone knows the infamous moment of five guys playing the entire second half (and losing).
This year's version of the Lakers roster still has plenty of flaws. However, Los Angeles has proven capable of powering through those clear shortcomings and still being a competitive team all the same. Things are not perfect, but there is just enough to keep Doncic and company buzzing.
When the Lakers get back to the postseason, there is a good chance their playoff opponent(s) will manage to do what the Timberwolves did last year in terms of magnifying the issues. When that happens, fans in Los Angeles will hope their head coach offers a little more grace this time around.
JJ Redick has to stick with the guys who got the Lakers to the playoffs
The supporting cast around the three Lakers star is not perfect, but there is a lot more to like this season.
Marcus Smart brings excellent defense, toughness, and leadership. Deandre Ayton, at his best, is a functional center for when they need him. Jaxson Hayes brings great energy off the bench. Luke Kennard is a lights-out marksman. Rui Hachimura can space the floor pretty well too. Jake LaRavia is an undervalued glue guy who holds a lot together.
Each of those players has flaws. Everyone knows it too.
"It's a bench of guys that have lost coaches' trust in the playoffs multiple times," Zach Lowe said on The Bill Simmons Podcast. "... That makes me a little bit nervous."
Even with the natural obstacles presented by the supporting cast, holding firm is the best option. There will not be much to gain from running the main guys into the ground like last season. The Lakers saw that repeatedly fail them down the stretch of ball games when players ran out of gas.
What's Albert Einstein's definition of insanity again?
In all seriousness, that strategy is far less viable this year too, with LeBron James being another year older. Perhaps there is still some version of Playoff LeBron in there, but asking 40.8 minutes a night (last year's average) from a 41-year-old is likely to yield a result no one will be happy with.
The Lakers are flawed, but so is their competition. Redick's challenge will be to not shy away from those issues in his second trip to the NBA Playoffs. The bench boss in Los Angeles will need to work around them and maximize the team all the same. The sudden surge in March offers hope of his capabilities in that department.