After just three days of training camp, several members of the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster have already been impressed with new head coach JJ Redick.
Point guard D’Angelo Russell explained that he hasn’t had the opportunity to build a long-term relationship with a coach throughout his nine-year NBA career, although he anticipates that changing with Redick.
“For me to see how JJ is trying to bring the playcalls and just level of IQ into each practice and each film session, to see how he’s prioritizing that,” Russell said, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I’ve always been a guy that wants to prioritize high IQ, [high-level] verbiage, [high-level] film sessions … like, let’s rise to that. And he’s obviously doing that. It’s something to look forward to.”
Russell was also excited about a play that Redick implemented at the start of training camp.
“I’d never seen it,” he said. “I’m not trying to hype it up but I thanked him for showing me that. … I saw him getting into his bag right there and it’s exciting for players to notice stuff like that.”
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura highlighted Redick’s recent playing career, which ended in 2021, when discussing the coach’s relatability.
“He was just in the league … he knows exactly what’s happening in the league right now,” Hachimura said, via Spectrum’s Mike Trudell. “For us, it’s easy to understand … whatever he says just makes sense.”
Rui Hachimura on JJ Redick: “He was just in the league … he knows exactly what’s happening in the league right now. For us, it’s easy to understand … whatever he says just makes sense.”
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) October 3, 2024
Redick was hired on June 20 to replace Darvin Ham, who was fired following Los Angeles’ first-round playoff loss to the Denver Nuggets.
There appeared to be confusion among several players in the rotation under Ham, with Anthony Davis telling reporters that “we have stretches where we just don’t know what we’re doing on both ends of the floor” following a Game 2 loss against Denver.
Anthony Davis: “We have stretches where we don’t know what we’re doing on both ends of the floor… Just got to get it right on Thursday.” pic.twitter.com/4agots9D6L
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) April 23, 2024
As Redick attempts to lead the Lakers back to the playoffs, he’s already beginning to earn the trust of his players after a few days of training camp. Los Angeles will start preseason action on Friday, opening with a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
