JJ Redick divulges key changes being made to Lakers offense entering 2024-25

It's a tale as old as time: Great teams don't beat themselves. They may ultimately fall short of victory, but their losses will be a result of being outplayed rather than committing the costly mistakes that result in an avoidable defeat.

As JJ Redick approaches the beginning of his first season as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, that simple fact appears to be driving the tactical changes he plans to implement.

Los Angeles finished the 2023-24 season at 47-35 and endured a first-round exit from the playoffs. A deep dive into the Lakers' success and shortcomings, however, reveals a clear example of the team failing to perform in areas that it could've excelled.

In an interview with Zach Lowe on The Lowe Post, Redick revealed what the Lakers will do differently on the court in 2024-25, citing a shift toward an approach that emphasizes overlooked strengths.

"In terms of what the offense looks like, there will be a decent amount of movement. The shot profile will hopefully improve. We've talked about ways to create more paint touches. We've talked about ways to shoot more threes. We've talked about some of the leeway that you have to give certain players with their midrange shots, whether that's in the post or isolation. But hopefully the shot profile improves."

Redick continued:

"I think from a possession standpoint, one of the margins this team created last year, and historically with this group, has been free throws. Outside of that, there hasn't been a lot of margin creation. So we're going to try to create some margins. One of which is we're really going to emphasize offensive rebounding. Corner crashes. I'm not comparing that to any previous coach or previous system, but those are some of the things that will look like a team that I coach."

Redick is understandably unwilling to reveal the specific tactics he's going to utilize, as that would be paramount to giving the opposition his game plan, but it's an intriguing first look at his restructuring of the offense.

JJ Redick plans to address the Lakers' primary flaws in 2024-25

Perhaps the most important element of what Redick hopes to do is create off-ball movement and shoot more threes. It's a simple change to some extent, but it speaks to how the Lakers caused self-inflicted wounds that they failed to overcome in 2023-24.

For instance, this past season, Los Angeles ranked No. 8 in the NBA in three-point field goal percentage, but finished No. 28 in three-point field goal attempts.

In addition to committing to shooting more freely from beyond the arc, Redick wants the Lakers to change the way they generate attempts. This past season, Los Angeles was an isolation-based team that tasked its playmakers with driving and kicking to the open man.

It's a successful strategy, to some extent but Redick wants off-ball movement, which should create easier looks along the perimeter and increase the frequency of driving lanes opening for penetrating scorers.

The other critical flaw that doomed the Lakers in 2023-24 was its production on the offensive glass. Anthony Davis actually led the NBA in second-chance points individually, but Los Angeles ranked dead last in both offensive rebounds and second-chance points as a team.

Redick has prioritized a shift in priorities in that regard, hoping to see the team create new opportunities to both control the clock and alleviate some of the burden from Davis.

As Redick implements these changes, a comment that could be glossed over actually provides the most important context thus far. He told Lowe that he wants to make these changes, but also understands that it's important to provide his players with some degree of flexibility to play the style they prefer.

With a clear idea of how the Lakers can improve, and an understanding of the importance of each player's individuality, Redick is saying all the right things ahead of the 2024-25 season.