'The task at hand': How Lakers coach JJ Redick stays focused - BERITAJA

It hasn’t been Oklahoma City’s superstar burying the Lakers successful the Western Conference semifinals. That’s what’s made this bid truthful vexing for the shorthanded Lakers.

After the Thunder dominated the Lakers successful minutes without reigning about valuable subordinate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander connected the tribunal successful Game 2, flexing their superior depth, athleticism and pace, Lakers coach JJ Redick said the squad had to “look astatine everything.” The second-year Lakers coach is the latest to look a problem that almost nary 1 successful the NBA has solved.

How do you extremity the inevitable erstwhile it comes to the Oklahoma City Thunder?

The defending NBA champions rolled to a 2-0 lead successful the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals contempt comparatively quiet performances from Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder put the Lakers successful threat of getting swept retired of the playoffs for conscionable the 10th clip successful franchise history.

Playing without Luka Doncic, the NBA’s starring scorer, the Lakers could only proceed to do what they’ve done each year: adapt.

“The point I emotion about the playoffs,” Redick said earlier the Lakers’ second-round series, “is you only could interest about the task astatine hand.”

The Lakers person already shown their resilience this postseason by winning a first-round playoff bid complete the Houston Rockets successful six games contempt being without their superstar defender and only getting second-leading scorer Austin Reaves backmost for 2 games.

When the prima guards some suffered regular season-ending injuries against the Thunder connected April 2, it looked for illustration a judge disaster. The Lakers were conscionable opening to show their imaginable arsenic a team.

They grieved done a three-game losing streak. They regrouped. Then they won.

“Going done this series, we could person really folded a small spot and could person had a batch of each type of excuses,” halfway Deandre Ayton said aft the Lakers polished disconnected the first-round series, “but I felt that we came in, JJ didn’t springiness a damn who was retired location pinch him.”

Between shocking trades and awesome injuries, it’s felt for illustration Redick has coached astatine slightest six different teams during his first 2 seasons. His aggravated attraction could thief return the emotion retired of immoderate unforeseen circumstance. Whether it’s a blockbuster waste and acquisition that brought Doncic to L.A. aliases an untimely wounded that sidelines the superstar defender astatine the about important clip of the season, Redick is capable to compartmentalize each day’s mission.

“He conscionable stays locked into what he has to do successful the moment,” said Stan Van Gundy, who coached Redick successful Orlando and is now an expert for Amazon Prime Video. “He’s arsenic focused arsenic anybody you’ll tally into.”

Lakers coach JJ Redick gives instructions to defender Luka Doncic during a crippled successful March.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Sometimes Redick’s tasks are simply checking successful pinch definite players. Other times it’s cooking up caller plays pinch the coaches. Redick focuses afloat connected each 1 astatine a time. Learning to prioritize the tasks has kept him much sane during his 2nd play successful 1 of the about high-profile coaching jobs successful sports, he said.

“A small much sane,” Redick clarified pinch a bashful grin.

Reaves isn’t buying it.

The Lakers defender still sees Redick combusting connected the Lakers’ chair aft a peculiarly egregious turnover aliases a missed assignment. He saved his ire for officials during the Lakers’ Game 2 nonaccomplishment successful Oklahoma City during which Redick received a method foul.

Redick sewage into heated exchanges pinch Doncic and Jarred Vanderbilt this season. The video clips went viral, casting uncertainty connected Redick’s narration pinch players, particularly the infinitesimal pinch Doncic successful February. But Redick maintained some were mean conversations among competitory people.

Even aft Redick’s sideline dust-ups, Reaves knows he could still talk it done pinch the coaching staff.

“It conscionable shows the attraction factor,” Reaves said. “Like there’s nary bad intentions pinch immoderate of it. … It’s a patient relationship. It’s not conscionable pinch myself, it’s the full team. Everybody could talk to 1 another. It’s not conscionable america to coaching staff, it’s subordinate to player, coaching unit to coaching staff, we each clasp each different accountable and it’s a beautiful point to see.”

Lakers coach JJ Redick reviews his notes earlier a crippled against the Utah Jazz successful April.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

In his 2nd play astatine the helm, Redick group retired to make a player-led squad culture. Redick and his unit intentionally fto players talk betwixt themselves during timeouts earlier coaches subordinate the huddle.

For arsenic overmuch spotlight caput coaches get successful the NBA, a team’s civilization yet comes down to players, Van Gundy said. What coaches do is get and elevate the players who person the taste traits the squad needs. For the Lakers this season, it’s been about adaptability.

LeBron James exemplified the mantra erstwhile he shape-shifted from the high-usage prima he’s been for much than 2 decades to the about accomplished tertiary action successful NBA history. When Reaves and Doncic were hurt, James turned backmost the timepiece again to prima successful the Lakers’ first-round bid win.

The high-impact performances person trickled down the roster.

Rui Hachimura changeable a career-best 44.3% connected threes during the regular play and 58.6% from 3 successful the first round. Long criticized for inconsistent energy, Ayton reemerged arsenic a postseason unit successful the first round. Marcus Smart resurrected his profession arsenic a tenacious defender astatine 32 years old. Luke Kennard’s emergence arsenic an emergency constituent defender was a late-season revelation. Jaxson Hayes was retired of the postseason rotation past twelvemonth and is now an important counterpunch down Ayton.

“[Redick] has recovered ways to maximize each of these guys, whether it’s done motivation, Xs and O’s aliases both,” Van Gundy said. “He’s really, really been awesome successful what he’s done, and it’s not an easy point to do.”

Redick, who ne'er coached extracurricular of his sons’ younker teams earlier taking the Lakers job, became the first coach to lead the Lakers to back-to-back 50-win seasons since Phil Jackson successful 2009-10 and 2010-11. Redick held backmost tears erstwhile wide head Rob Pelinka presented him pinch the crippled shot successful the locker room connected March 31 and showed a video of Redick’s sons, Knox and Kai, congratulating their dad.

When asked about joining a database of Lakers coaches that includes Jackson and Pat Riley, Redick demurred. He doesn’t merit the mention, he said.

“I’ve sewage a batch near to accomplish, for sure,” Redick said.

He’s focused connected the adjacent play.