NBA (DR) / Los Angeles Lakers (DR)
By Mathieu Seguin | Sport editor
Lakers are preparing to live a season full of expectations and questions. After a restless summer, the eyes turn to a man: JJ Redick. His game choices in recent months have fueled debates and criticism, and the new composition of the workforce may well redistribute the cards. But an interrogation remains: will the coach be able to restore their place to the interiors?
Last year, the hierarchy of the Lakers was clear. Anthony Davis had been placed at the heart of the project, almost exclusively occupying the role of pivot. But with his departure in the exchange having brought Luka Doncic, Redick changed his approach, betting more on Small-Ball and a fast game. This strategy worked by sequences, but it showed its limits in playoffs, especially in the face of the interior power of the Timberwolves.
Californian analysts also recalled how this choice weighed on rotations. Andy Kamenetzky explained that “During the playoffs, Jaxson Hayes saw his playing time collapse, going from 19.5 minutes to only 7.8. As for Alex Len, he has never been envisaged as a real option ”. A management that sowed doubt about Redick’s real will to use his pivots decisively.
A new inevitable approach to JJ Redick?
The Lakers coach, known for his appeal to small rotations, now seems to have less room for maneuver. The arrival of Deandre Ayton changes the game. Solid pivot, it comes out of a season at 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds on average, with an efficiency of almost 60 % in shooting. For many observers, it represents the ideal compromise between the level of a davis and secondary options like Hayes. As Kamenetzky summed up, “Ayton, if he is not Anthony Davis, offers a happy medium much more credible than what the Lakers had so far”.
The challenge will now be to see if Redick agrees to build a real system around its new pivot, or if it persists in minimizing its importance in the game. The risk would be great: relegating Ayton to a simple additional role would reduce its impact and weaken the offensive as defensive balance of the team. Mald management could also create internal tensions, a scenario that Lakers absolutely want to avoid after such an ambitious summer.
At the same time, Luka Doncic already embodies the new face of the franchise. The Slovenian leader will obviously have the ball in hand most of the time, but he will need an inner relay capable of weighing. The associations between him and Ayton will be scrutinized carefully, because they could give the Lakers a more complete and unpredictable offensive palette.
The near future will depend directly on Redick’s ability to adapt. His trainer career is still young, but this season could be the one where he really defines himself: coach locked in his Small-Ball, or strategist capable of evolving to make the most of his workforce. In a west conference dense than ever, the balance it will find between external game and interior domination could seal the fate of the Lakers.
