Following a brutal road trip, where they failed to win even a single game, the Lakers are back to their winning ways. Playing in familiar territory, they have been victorious in two straight games at home. Their latest win came last night against the Spurs despite missing LeBron James—thanks to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves’ dominant performance. But while the dynamic duo is getting the majority of the credit, JJ Redick highlighted the lesser-known weapon who has helped the Lakers succeed with his contribution behind the scenes.
“I think Greg has done a really nice job with not a lot of court time over the last few weeks. And really breaking down on film what we want our spacing to look like versus blitzes and pick and roll, versus doubles in the post… We’ve done some really good things against that,” Redick revealed post-game.
Of course, JJ was talking about the team’s assistant coach, Greg St. Jean.
Well, Jean was added to Redick’s staff last summer amid the massive revamping and has turned into a key asset in the team’s strategy making process. Obviously, he has prior championship experience, having worked under Frank Vogel during the Lakers’ Bubble title run in 2020. Then, Greg had two brief stints in Dallas and Phoenix as the assistant coach. Now, he is back with the Lakers, working his magic alongside JJ Redick.
JJ continued, “Just if they are not gonna double and they’re not gonna blitz, like our packaging around that has I think been good.”
He also had high praise for his players, who have executed the coaching staff’s strategy perfectly in LeBron’s absence, “Going back to our group, and their responsiveness to everything throughout the season, they generally have done an outstanding job. When we’ve challenged them on certain things, they’ve responded.”
But Redick believes the LA team is yet to reach its peak form because of one glaring concern!
JJ Redick claims Lakers are yet to “Fully Unlock” but is optimistic about the eventual outcome
Although JJ gave props to Greg for his contribution and credited the players for their effort, he believes the Lakers still have a long way to go. “I think for us to fully unlock our team offense, we need to be whole,” he pointed out.
Yes, the team is still missing a major piece—LeBron James. As per veteran insider, Shams Charania, he is expected to be out at least for one more week due to his groin injury. Adding to the concerns, Rui Hachimura, Trey Jemison III, and Maxi Kleber are also sidelined due to injury woes.
Feb 20, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) signals to teammates during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Until these players return and the Lakers are back at complete strength, their true potential cannot be assessed. However, the way they have performed so far has raised JJ’s expectations, “I think it’s all gonna come together where we’re finishing, we’re passing, we’re taking care of the basketball and we’re making threes, but pleased with how we’re able to generate good looks fairly consistently.”
Even last night, the Lakers played solid team basketball, with their starters combining for an impressive 90 points. Moreover, six players scored in double-digits, with Reaves leading the charge with 30 points.
As long as Los Angeles can continue playing this way, JJ might not have anything to worry about. Their priority right now would be to keep the team afloat until LBJ and the rest of the reinforcement arrives, so that they can go into the playoffs with a fully healthy roster.
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