Within the first half of their match in opposition to the Toronto Raptors Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers confirmed the identical vulnerabilities they displayed throughout their current five-game highway journey that resulted in 4 losses and only one win. They had been means outmatched they usually had been means outplayed by way of quick break factors.
However they turned the state of affairs round halfway by means of the third quarter. Los Angeles outscored the Raptors 35-27 in that third interval, and from that time on, it wasn’t a combat. The Lakers ended up successful by a rating of 123-103 to enhance to a 6-4 document.
Head coach JJ Redick spoke in regards to the adjustments that had been made to show issues round whereas crediting his gamers for responding to his teaching.
Through Lakers Nation:
“That’s all we talked about earlier than the sport in our assembly,” Redick stated. “That’s what our film session was all about. Our guys responded. I feel it was our second finest transition protection recreation of the yr and total we had been higher tonight. It’s one thing we talked about at halftime with the fellows. I feel it was three factors. Three transition factors within the second half. They killed us on the glass within the first half. We talked about gang rebounds, three offensive rebounds within the second half. We talked about, you already know, defending our paint. I feel that they had 12 paint factors within the second half.
“Once more, they’re delicate to the issues we wish. And I consider that in my coronary heart. NBA gamers need to be coached, and our group needs to be coached, and they are often coached. And that for us is a giant image, participant personnel, workforce sort factor. That’s what I’m speaking about with this belief constructing.
Whereas Lakers gamers usually appeared to disregard Darvin Ham, Redick’s predecessor, final season, they’ve taken a liking to the 40-year-old neophyte to date this yr. Guard D’Angelo Russell, who dealt with his transfer to the bench professionally, confirmed after Sunday’s recreation that the workforce had acquired Redick.
Through Lakers Nation:
“If I may go away you with something, I feel as soon as once more, you simply need to decide to this technique that the coaches are attempting to implement,” Russell stated after the Lakers’ victory. “It makes everybody’s job simpler. This enables us to see how they shield us from the beginning, and nonetheless see how groups shield us from recreation to recreation.
“I feel 82 video games into the common season, folks overlook what it’s for. I feel our workforce is making ready for the playoffs with these 82 video games to attempt to get higher each recreation. I am making an attempt to see how groups shield us, I am making an attempt to see what we will do to arrange for the playoffs as a result of all of that is unknown to us. So that you simply should decide to it, decide to what the coaches are attempting to implement and that may assist us put together later.
Russell struggled all through the primary eight video games of the season, however in two standout video games, he shot a mixed 13 of 25 from the sphere and 5 of 13 from 3-point vary whereas scoring 33 of 52 factors. minutes. .
In Redick, the Lakers seem to have the revered management that they’ve lacked over a lot of the previous few seasons.
This text was initially printed on LeBron Wire: JJ Redick praises Lakers for responding to his teaching
