Questions about how he handled the second half of Game 4 appear to be a sore spot for Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick.
The first-year coach walked out of a news conference Wednesday ahead of Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves after a reporter questioned his team’s lack of substitutions on Sunday, a 116-113 Lakers loss that pushed Redick’s team to down 3-1 in the series.
Advertisement
Redick raised eyebrows in Game 4 when he played a single quintet of players — LeBron James, Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Dorian Finney-Smith — for the entire second half. Only one other player, Gabe Vincent, played more than seven minutes in the game. Los Angeles maintained a single-digit lead for most of the second half, but faltered down the stretch while Anthony Edwards pushed his scoring total to 43 points.
The reporter at the news conference specifically asked if Redick would consult with an assistant coach on substitutions, a premise the Lakers coach evidently found offensive.
The full exchange:
Reporter: “As you watch the film, what do you recall about your thought process in the moment, sticking with the five you stuck with in the fourth quarter the other day, and is there an assistant or someone that maybe you will lean on tonight maybe to try to get some other guys involved if that opportunity presents itself —”
Redick: “Are you saying that because I’m inexperienced and that was an inexperienced decision that I made? You think I don’t talk to my assistants about substitutions every single timeout?”
Reporter: “No, I just think a lot of coaches lean on their assistants in those situations.”
Redick: “As do I, every single time (pause). That’s a weird assumption.”
Advertisement
Whether Redick consulted with his assistants in Game 4, the lack of substitutions provided easy talking-point fodder after the game, for both concerns about the Lakers’ fatigue and their lack of depth behind their two superstars in James and Dončić.
Charles Barkley was among the many to poke holes in the Lakers between Games 4 and 5, and Redick’s reaction probably won’t help the image of a team on edge, even if Game 5 goes their way.
JJ Redick and the Lakers have their backs against the wall. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
(David Berding via Getty Images)
Redick is in his first season as Lakers head coach, his first paid coaching job in basketball. Between the end of his playing career and 2021 and his introduction with the Lakers, his involvement in basketball consisted of podcasting, analyzing games for ESPN and coaching his son’s youth basketball team.
Despite concerns around Redick’s lack of experience, his first season saw a three-win improvement for the Lakers from last year. This season also saw significant personal challenges for Redick, whose rental home burned down in the wildfires that rocked Los Angeles in January.