JJ Redick talks LA’s defense minus LeBron James
Before Los Angeles Lakers‘ road slope in atlanta, JJ Redick he told reporters he likes where the defense sits through nine games, even with LeBron James aside and circled two corrections for this trip.
Cleaner transition defense and answers for “unorthodox” pick-and-rolls. He also shouted out DeAndre Ayton’s rim protection metrics as the closest defender trending near the top of the league, according to an exchange relayed by The Athletic’s Lav Murray on X, formerly Twitter.
Asked JJ Redick about where he sees his defense through 9 games and areas of improvement for this trip
He noted that tonight is a great time to work on transition defense and prepare to defend unorthodox pick-and-rolls. But he is happy with the defense, especially. without LBJ pic.twitter.com/OsULBv0TM3
— Lav Murray ⛲ (@LavMurraiTheNU) November 9, 2025
On paper, there is progress; the most recent was a 122–102 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, where execution faltered in the middle quarters. Los Angeles turned it over 20 times and gave up 51.1% of its snaps, numbers that make any scheme look ordinary. Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 22 points and 11 assists, while Atlanta’s scoring, Mohamed Gueye’s 21 and Zachary Rizaher’s shooting kept the pressure on throughout the night.
Redick’s larger point continues to fall. Without James, the Lakers tried to win the tie-up. One try on the ball, a buzzer beater, and a big stand on the rim. Misses appear when the floor tilts in transition or when creative screening angles break up tackles. That’s why Redick emphasized those “unorthodox” pick-and-rolls, empty-side drives, pocket passes that force the short man to tag and recover. Clean up those rotations, and the profile tightens.
James’ absence looms large; he didn’t travel on the current five-game road trip as he moves toward a five-on-five job. The earliest rounded realistic return date is mid-November. until then, Los Angeles needs Ayton’s contests to sustainAustin Reeves to move screens without fouling, and role players to rush the corners so the defense doesn’t defend turnovers.
2025-11-09 06:29:00
