Lakers head coach JJ Redick is entering his first playoff series at the helm, and he will be using a less is more approach with the team in the lead-up.
“We will spend some time, Tuesday, Wednesday, introducing a little bit of playoff stuff,” Redick said. “It’s not necessarily going to be everything at once this week. We will have to slow-drip. I think that’s the approach that’s going to work best for our group. So, Tuesday will be about us. Wednesday, we can introduce Minnesota. That gives our coaching staff basically three to four days. We can map out what we want to do in terms of Minnesota prep, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and potentially Saturday.”
In the regular season, LAL opened the preseason against the Wolves, then played them again on opening night, and they split the season 2-2.
Redick isn’t underestimating Minnesota.
“Very difficult opponent,” Redick told reporters on Sunday. “They’ve played as well as anyone lately. I believe they’re one of four teams in the top 10 in offense and defense, so they present a lot of problems.”
The head coach is going to tap into Doncic’s experience against the Wolves since he played them in the postseason with Dallas last spring.
“There are nuances to what teams are trying to do against certain opponents,” Redick said.
In terms of how his first year has gone, JJ says he won’t properly evaluate himself until after the playoffs.
“Uh, it’s not done,” Redick said. “And I spent all of three and a half minutes on the flight back from Dallas just thinking about making the playoffs and thinking about the coaching profession. And I think as a coach, you’re obviously judged on regular season wins and losses and your ability to get to the playoffs. But I think the other two things that you’re really judged on are the way you’re able to handle the pressure of the playoffs, the adjustments, the in-game stuff.
“There’s still so much work that we have to do, myself, our staff. And then I think you’re also judged on the culture you create and whether or not your players and everybody in the building like coming to work.”
