Lakerholics

A Lakers Fan Community

Posts

JJ Redick Explains Benefits Of Five-Out Offense

By 1 Comment

Redick is a believer in the five-out offense and he explained what it means, via Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know:

“I think it’s a little more nuanced than just saying it’s five out and every team is different,” Redick said. “Again, in the NBA you want to maximize spacing. That’s what it comes down to. So for the Denver Nuggets, they want to score in the paint so when they go five out it’s to get to the paint. And what they rely on is…let’s say the ball goes here, now Jokic has it here. We’re just gonna cut, this could be a pin down, this could be a rip screen, that’s Aaron Gordon going to the basket. I think when people say, ‘Oh, everybody’s just spaced five out,’ and people think it’s like this guy going to his bag every single time and jacking a three. That’s not what it is. Five-out is just a way to maximize spacing so that whatever your particular team likes to do and wants to do and can do well you can run different actions out of five-out.”

There is a misconception that five-out offense exclusively means shooting threes, but as Redick points out it’s much more than that. The modern NBA is predicated on using spacing to generate shots either at the rim or beyond the arc, and it sounds like Los Angeles will be adopting those principles.

Redick is already talking to his players about embodying these concepts as he said he wants someone like Rui Hachimura shooting more 3-pointers. Hearing Redick talk about the offense is encouraging, but it remains to be seen how it actually translates on the floor.

Redick reports full circle with coaching staff explanation

By Leave a Comment

The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2024 NBA offseason with a glaring need to change the culture. Los Angeles was coming off one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history, as a healthy starting five and two All-NBA superstars couldn’t prevent a first-round exit that included blown halftime leads during each of the four devastating losses.

The decision to hire JJ Redick was met with inevitable skepticism given the fact that this is his first coaching job above the amateur level, but a recent revelation offers insight into the culture he’s introducing.

Reports surfaced early in the search for a new head coach that the Lakers wanted a grinder to lead the locker room. There seemed to be lines to read between, but the productive evaluation simply stated that Los Angeles wanted someone who would work hard and hold others accountable.

In a recent appearance on Spectrum SportsNet’s Lakeshow podcast, Redick explained the primary motive behind the construction of his coaching staff: A grinder mentality.

“It’s been fascinating because you’re fitting puzzle pieces together about skill sets and personalities. I couldn’t be happier with the staff that we’ve built here. We have a blend of youth, experience. Obviously Nate [McMillan] and Scotty [Brooks], but also Bob Beyer, who has been front of the bench for almost two decades in the NBA. The biggest thing for me was I wanted to make sure I had a bunch of sickos on my staff and I think I’ve accomplished that. They’re grinders.”

With a staff of coaches who are obsessed with basketball, Redick is ready to establish the culture in Los Angeles that Rob Pelinka has been looking for.

JJ Redick built a Lakers coaching staff of sickos and grinders
Redick played 15 seasons in the NBA, showing a clear focus on steadily improving and adapting along the way. He was a basketball anomaly in that regard, setting a career-high in scoring during his 13th season—at 34 years of age, on a 51-win team.

It was a clear display of his obsession with the sport that drove him to tweak and improve his craft until Father Time won the battle it never loses.

Redick then showed that same commitment to the sport when he became one of the most revered analysts in the industry. He hosted multiple podcasts and maintained a versatile role with ABC and ESPN, co-hosting early-morning talk shows and providing in-game analysis as a commentator.

During each of those ventures, Redick displayed an attention to detail and a willingness to go above and beyond with his research that inevitably appealed to the Lakers.

It appears as though that approach will remain consistent as he ventures into the coaching realm. He’s surrounded himself with individuals who come from every walk of life, no matter their age, experience, or gender.

The consistent thread that bonds the Lakers’ coaching staff appears to be a willingness to put in constant work toward the goal of making the team as strong as it can be.

For the skeptics, this is a mere talking point that won’t actually prove useful until Los Angeles produces the results expected of them. For fans who have seen the word accountability thrown around by countless Lakers this offseason, however, it appears to be a welcome change of pace.

It’s a results-driven industry, but Redick has put together a staff that will leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of proper preparation and the wins that being thorough can achieve.