The Los Angeles Lakers have found their rhythm back this season under JJ Redick. They are on a five-game winning streak—the longest in the Western Conference at the moment—and currently sit in the third spot in the West with a 9-4 record. Former NBA star Lou Williams believes that this resurgent start is a result of the changes that Redick has made to the starting lineup. And for that, he should be appreciated.
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On Run It Back, he stressed the fact that the Lakers have been “rolling” despite Redick being a rookie head coach. Williams appreciates the 40-year-old’s system where no one is getting special treatment, and everything is being done in the interest of the team.
LouWill also outlined how Redick has made D’Angelo Russell come off the bench in the last five games.
He said, “The DLo thing, I appreciate it. He [JJ] tried to nip that in the bud early, like, ‘Listen, we’re gonna play hard around here. We’re not too cool for school. We’re going to get all of that out of the system if you want to be on the floor and if you want to be a contributor.’”
"He tried to nip that DLo thing in the bud early. We're not too cool for school, we're going to get all of that out of the system if you want to be on the floor." Lou Williams is a fan of the work JJ Redick has been doing with the Lakers.
▶️ https://t.co/v2SL5729yl pic.twitter.com/EAFp84Rnbs
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) November 19, 2024
This strategic change is helping the team have more faith in the substitute players. Williams said that another positive sign coming from the Lakers camp is that players like DLo are happily taking on such roles. This also shows that anyone might be called up to do the hard work, regardless of their stature.
“So, the job that he’s done thus far is great,” Williams concluded.
In the last game against the Pelicans, Redick had Max Christie in the starting lineup as Cam Reddish was out with an injury, instead of giving Russell a start.
D’Lo has been impactful in his new role
In his eight games as a starter, Russell averaged 12 points, with 2.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.1 blocks. He shot 37.5% from the field and 29.2 % from the three-point line. These numbers were subpar and might have been one of the reasons behind Redick making a change in the lineup. The 28-year-old has improved his game in the new role.
In the last five games, he has averaged 12.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. The most impressive outcome of this change has been Russell’s shooting. His shooting percentage has gone up to 46% from the field and 40% from the three-point line. More importantly, D’Lo is now in charge of the second unit.
With him coming off the bench, the Lakers can be confident about adding some valuable points to the board down the stretch. His presence is also going to bring new life to the entire second unit, which is going to become a major strength for the franchise in the long run.
