JJ Redick praises Cam Reddish for doing dirty work for the Lakers

The first major rotation change head coach JJ Redick made this season was replacing D’Angelo Russell in the starting lineup with Cam Reddish. Redick felt Reddish’s defensive-minded nature would give the Lakers a boost while also allowing Russell to thrive as a second unit general.

The initial results of this change have been successful, although the Lakers have now lost their last two games. Reddish’s defense has helped the Lakers get off to better starts, and their offense’s performance hasn’t flagged despite his deficiencies on that side of the court.

Redick made some comparisons for Reddish when describing how important it is for the Lakers and any team to have players like him on the roster.

“I think it’s important on any team,” Redick said. “You need people who are prepared to think defensively, who are prepared to have to protect the other team’s best player every night without, quite frankly, having any real offensive reward on the other side.

“As a player, I think everyone’s first thought or motive will always be offensive. These people are hard to find. Cam was great for us. There are certainly guys like I think of Josh Hart or OG (Anunoby), those guys don’t necessarily get a lot of plays, they do a lot of things defensively, but within the construct of their offense, they’re able to get shots and score.

“I think from the position when Cam first came into the rotation to the position we’re in now, he’s starting to find some of those shots, whether it’s getting a closeout , driving out in transition and playing or playing off dribble penetration or double whatever teams it may be, he’s starting to find some of those offensive options.”

The Lakers absolutely need as many defensive-minded players as possible given where they currently stand in the league. Reddish isn’t a panacea for their defensive woes, but things could have been worse if they had kept Russell in the starting lineup.

Redick has shown a willingness to pull such strings very early in his tenure as head coach, and if the Lakers bring back other defensive-minded players like Jarred Vanderbilt, there could be even more changes to come.

JJ Redick insists the Lakers weren’t hit by Nuggets

After the heartbreaking loss to the Orlando Magic, the Lakers had to turn around and face a Denver Nuggets team that has been a number one team in recent years.

Even though the Nuggets were missing Aaron Gordon, they had no problem shutting down the Lakers in dominant fashion in the second half. Los Angeles appeared to have solved its problems against Denver as they built a 10-point lead in the first half before completely giving up in the third quarter.

In the aftermath, Redick refused to believe that Los Angeles was struggling because of its previous struggles with Denver, instead reiterating that the team overall lacked competitive spirit in the second half.

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