Lakers coach JJ Redick, generally considered to have had a decent first season, faced significant criticism following a key decision on Sunday. With his team trailing the Minnesota Timberwolves 2-1 in their first-round series, Redick opted to keep the same five players (LeBron James, Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Dorian Finney-Smith) on the court for the entire second half of Game 4. While this group initially built a 12-point lead, the Lakers ultimately lost the game, partly because the players appeared fatigued towards the end.
This decision was historic; Redick was the first coach in the play-by-play era to use only five players for an entire second half in a playoff game. Given the loss, the choice naturally became controversial. After Game 4, Redick stated it wasn`t planned but was decided at halftime. He has evidently heard criticism about it since, and his reaction to a question on Wednesday about the decision ahead of Game 5 was visibly poor.
The contentious exchange began with a reporter inquiring if Redick consults assistant coaches on such lineup calls.
“As you watched the film, what do you recall about your thought process in the moment, sticking with the five you stuck with in the fourth quarter the other day? Is there an assistant or someone maybe that you`ll lean on maybe tonight to try to get some other guys involved? And if that opportunity presents itself…” the reporter started.
Redick interrupted the question directly, asking, “Are you saying that because I`m inexperienced? And that was an inexperienced decision I made? You think I don`t talk to my assistants about substitutions every single timeout?”
The reporter attempted to clarify, saying, “No, I just think a lot of coaches lean on their assistants in those situations…”
But Redick interrupted again, responding, “As do I. Every single time. That`s a weird assumption,” before abruptly standing up and leaving the press conference.
As a first-year head coach, and indeed a first-year NBA coach in any capacity after his media career, Redick`s inexperience is a factor. While the reporter`s question didn`t explicitly mention this, Redick clearly interpreted it as an insinuation of his lack of experience.
Regardless of the reporter`s true intention, Redick`s reaction ironically highlighted his inexperience in handling the pressures of the job. Dealing with external criticism is an inherent part of coaching in the NBA, and reacting this way suggests the criticism is affecting him. This is not the calm and composed demeanor a team likely wants projected by its coach, especially leading into a potential elimination game.
This entire series serves as a crucial learning experience for Redick. The Lakers hope he will be their long-term coach, and there will be more postseasons ahead. However, his Game 4 strategic gamble ultimately contributed to the Lakers` loss, and his public reaction to the resulting scrutiny has been less than reassuring as the team faces elimination.
Jasper Hawthorne