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Redick’s surprise late-season gamble to transform the Lakers’ offense into a volume 3-point shooting juggernaut and their defense into a trapping and swarming small ball attack paid off big as L.A. won 50 games and #3 seed.

The dramatic changes allowed the Lakers to win 50 games, the #3 seed in the West, and what is generally considered to be a very favorable possible path to the NBA Finals, especially considering the West is so challenging. JJ’s timing was perfect. Luka transformed L.A.’s offense into a 3-point juggernaut while their LeBron-powered aggressive swarming, trapping small ball defense held 3 elite teams under 100 points to close the season.

Once the dust settled after their 8-game run, the Lakers had done the unthinkable and actually transformed themselves into a 3-point offensive juggernaut that was taking and making 5 more 3-point shots per game.
With a healthy, better conditioned Luka Doncic running the offense and a healthy, repurposed LeBron James choreographing their swarming small ball defense, the Lakers finished the regular season as a playoff nightmare.

Before their stretch run, the Lakers were making 0.6 fewer 3PM per game for a negative differential of -1.8 points per game. During the run, L.A. made 3.2 more 3PM per game for a positive differential of +9.6 points. Redick’s smart decision to go all-in on volume 3-point shooting and aggressive small ball defense was a recognition the only realistic way L.A. could win the NBA championship was to win the 3-point war with Boston.

Let’s look closer at the Lakers’ dramatic stretch run to lock up 50 wins and the #3 seed in the West and whether their juggernaut 3-point shooting and swarming rotating small ball defense will be sustainable in the playoffs.

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Lakers’ Offense Leads NBA in Made Threes Down Stretch

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The Lakers started their 8-game stretch run with a 44–29 record and #4 seed in the West but facing the league’s toughest closing schedule with critical pairs of games vs. the #1 OKC Thunder and #2 Houston Rockets.

The 2024–25 regular season had been a constant roller coaster for the Lakers as untimely injuries to James, Davis, and Doncic and trades for Finney-Smith and Doncic roiled their roster and disrupted their season.
Despite the changes and setbacks, Redick remained committed to fully modernizing the Lakers’ old school offense, embracing the 3-point era, and committing the team to taking and making a high volume of threes.

Over the Lakers’ next 8-games, L.A. went all-in on becoming the NBA’s hottest and most potent offensive juggernaut led by a dynamic playmaking and scoring Big Three of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves.
Before their stretch run, the Lakers offense was 14th (114.3), defense 14th (113.6), and net rating 14th (+0.7). During their stretch run, their offense was 1st in the NBA (124.6), defense 15th (114.4), and net rating 7th (+10.2).

During their 8-game stretch run, the Lakers raised their 3PM from 12.9 to 17.5 per game, their 3PA from 35.9 to 41.3 per game, and their 3P% from 36.0% to 41.4%, creating a positive +9.6 points 3-point shooting differential.
While a small sample size, the eye test confirmed advanced stats. Anybody watching could see Luka was creating waves of wide-open 3-point shots for the Lakers. L.A.’s +10.2 net rating was due to their 3-point differential.

The Lakers have the playmakers and dead-eye shooters to prove their sizzling 3-point shooting was not just a hot streak but a replicable outcome of the elite pacing and spacing they can sustain throughout the playoffs.

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Lakers’ Swarming Small Ball Defense Shuts Down Stars

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While it was the Lakers’ juggernaut 3-point shooting that propelled them to a 50-win season and #3 seed in the West, the Lakers also had opportunities to showcase their swarming small ball defense during their stretch run.

The first opponent the Lakers held under 100 points down the stretch was the #2 seed Houston Rockets, whom the Lakers beat 104–98, holding them defensively to 41.6% from the field and 31.3% from deep in a close game.
The Lakers held Rockets’ guards Jalen Green and Fred Van Fleet to single digits and Houston big men Alperen Sengun and Dillon Brooks to 16 and 14 points. The Lakers aggressive small ball team defense shut Rockets down.

The Lakers’ best defensive effort was their 126–99 stomping of the #1 seed Thunder in OKC, where the Lakers aggressive trapping small ball defense held the Thunder to just 43.3% from the field and just 32.4% from deep.
The Thunder’s loss was biggest of the season. The Lakers shut down OKC’s interior and perimeter offense and dominated them offensively, winning the 3-point war by 30 points and raising serious questions about OKC.

The third opponent the Lakers held below 100 points down the stretch was the Mavericks in Luka Doncic’s first return to Dallas after the big trade, where the Lakers proceeded to throttle AD and the Mavericks 112–97.
The Lakers not only had Luka’s back as he dominated the game, scoring 31 in the first half and 45 for the full game. They also shut down the Mavs’ offense and held Anthony Davis to just 13 points on 5 of 13 shooting.

Like with their offense, the Lakers have finally have their full defense available, including the 4 big wing defenders in Vanderbilt, Hachimura, Finney-Smith, and James, who are the fire that makes their defense run.