Lakers' Christian Wood reveals early differences between JJ Redick, Darvin Ham

Christian Wood is preparing for his second season with the Los Angeles Lakers. It's what makes he and the rest of a team of that's returning a vast majority of players from the 2023-24 season such a fascinating case study, as Los Angeles recently underwent a change at head coach.

Darvin Ham produced intriguing results overall, but after a season that was defined by internal conflict, Los Angeles made the decision to move on and hire JJ Redick.

Redick will become a first-year head coach in 2024-25, leaving limited space for proper evaluation of what he brings to the table. The early returns have been promising, however, with Media Day providing insight into some of the philosophical changes he's already orchestrating.

Wood offered insight into what Redick brings to the table, citing a number of key differences as Los Angeles enters its first training camp under its new head coach.

"Internally, I think it's been more disciplined. We're more focused on details. We have a conditioning test coming up. We're more focused on trying to get better. Trying to lean into player development. Trying to be together. We have most of the guys back from last year, so I think a big thing for us is going to be our camaraderie."

Some of those comments seem like an obvious choice for a shift in priorities, but they're also a rather stunning explanation of what was missing in 2023-24.

Christian Wood says JJ Redick has Lakers more disciplined, detail-oriented

Los Angeles was a far cry from consistent in 2023-24, with a 24-25 record through 49 games offering ample evidence as to how badly the team underachieved. The Lakers turned it on down the stretch, however, going 23-10 over the final 33 games.

That 23-10 record amounted to the fifth-best winning percentage in the NBA after February 1—leaving fans to question how the team could flip a switch, but not play consistently well.

Wood's description of the changes from one head coach to the next seems to illuminate the type of issues Los Angeles ran into. Being disciplined and focused on the minor details is a positive sign, but it should be the minimum standard for any team, let alone a roster with Anthony Davis and LeBron James.

Los Angeles also has a former All-Star in D'Angelo Russell, an abundance of veterans, and some of the more promising young players in the NBA, including Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves.

In 2024-25, a stronger focus on the details should enable the Lakers to tap into their potential as a team. It's certainly easier said than done, but Redick has already shown signs of learning from the mistakes of previous regimes.

Wood made that clear when he revealed that Redick wants him to play more like himself in 2024-25 by actually exploiting mismatches.

It must be said that it's all a matter of conjecture until words materialize as actions. Training camp has only just begun, and the regular season is still several weeks away—meaning the signs of promise are anything but tangible for the time being.

As the Lakers prepare for a season during which they'll aim to maximize the All-NBA talent of Davis and James, however, Redick creating a more disciplined team is, in fact, a promising sign.