JJ Redick has received plenty of well-deserved praise throughout the 2024-25 regular season. That quickly turned on its head after Game 1 of the first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
As the Los Angeles Lakers got blasted in a one-sided 117-95 victory for the Timberwolves on Saturday night, criticism soon followed. Some were having Darvin Ham flashbacks. Lakers great Magic Johnson even took to Twitter/X to offer some discouraging feedback.
"Coach JJ Redick did a great job all season but he didn’t do a good job for Game 1," Johnson typed. "The Lakers stood around on offense, played too much one-on-one basketball, and he didn’t make any necessary adjustments."
Game 2 quickly served as the needed redemption for Redick after the lackluster playoff debut. The rookie head coach proved more than capable of making the necessary adjustments for Los Angeles.
Redick's game plan and adjustments pull their weight
The Lakers got a couple of nights off before returning to the court for Game 2 on Tuesday. LeBron James and company quickly showed how much more prepared they were to deal with the Timberwolves' physicality.
One aspect that stood out pretty early in Game 2 to people like Steve Jones Jr. and other onlookers was how much more the Lakers were moving offensively. It was one of the critiques Magic pointed out above. Redick heard the criticism, answering loud and clear with how the team was deployed.
Adjustment from the Lakers: more off-ball movement. Force the Wolves defense to move, keep them from being so decisive. Get action where Luka catches near the Elbow into a pindown for LeBron. Catches and scores. pic.twitter.com/WV691F28nW
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) April 23, 2025
With an improved offense, the Lakers quickly took a commanding 34-15 lead after the first quarter of the ball game. The adjustments made from Game 1 to Game 2 were not exclusive to how the Lakers attacked. They happened defensively too.
There was more pressure and intensity when guarding the Timberwolves offense. It forced Minnesota to figure things out a lot quicker and not be afforded the luxury of being patient with their decision-making.
Interesting to see the Lakers throw a different look at Anthony Edwards. Gobert screens for him, Veer action since he's flowing into a pindown. But notice that Hayes is at the level and stays with the drive. Two on the ball. Mix different things in to try and change rhythm. pic.twitter.com/oLJhaiRxeL
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) April 23, 2025
When things were not going their way, and the Lakers were allowing the Timberwolves back into the game during the third quarter, Redick did not pull any punches. The Lakers coach called a timeout where he was barking up a storm at those within earshot.
"We know JJ is going to spaz out from time to time," James joked after the game. "That's JJ. At this point for us, obviously we need to listen to the message and not the way how he's delivering it. For me, my high school coach my freshman year was kind of the same way."
Ultimately, Redick's masterful coaching led to a decisive 94-85 win over the Timberwolves in Game 2. The former NBA sharpshooter even earned some redemption from Magic in the process.
JJ Redick made amazing adjustments in last night’s game first on defense - they pressured more and were overall more physical.
We were in attack mode last night! Coach Reddick had the Lakers move the ball and their bodies on offense. We attacked the basket, got Minnesota in foul…— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 23, 2025
With Game 3 slated for Friday, Redick will have an opportunity to enjoy the moment a touch. However, Lakers fans can rest easy knowing their new head coach will probably be spending that time preparing for the next matchup, with his hands firmly out of his pockets.
