Copyright Lake Show Life
When the Los Angeles Lakers announced that both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves would be added to the injury report against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, many thought it would end up as a 'schedule loss.' That was far from the case, and JJ Redick deserves a lot of the credit for that. The Lakers were playing their third matchup in four nights. The decision to rest their stars was understandable to all. The outcome was surprising to many. Los Angeles, on the road, went into Portland and came away with a decisive 123-115 win. Deandre Ayton dropped 29 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks against his former team. Rui Hachimura shined as a scorer, putting up 28 points. Nick Smith Jr. delivered the most unexpected surprise of all Lakers players, chipping in with 25 points and six assists off the bench. It was a strong win for a group that was so undermanned. The victory served as a testament to the culture shift in the Lakers organization that has come with a strong personality like Redick being in charge as head coach. JJ Redick has given the Lakers hunger and accountability It is hard to ignore just how passionate the Lakers head coach is on the sidelines. Redick is vocal and involved almost to the point of obsession. That could rub some the wrong way, but it also sets the tone for those who are ready to embrace that environment. With Redick comes a strong sense of accountability. The Lakers coach is unafraid of calling out an entire team and that even stretches as far as the superstars who lead it. That is not the type of leadership at head coach that Los Angeles could expect of their former bench boss, Darvin Ham. Redick has firmly establish his culture of playing hard, buying into roles, and being blunt about what the team needs or lacks. That kind of environment paves the way for young players like Smith to cherish every opportunity given to them. It also allows for veteran to believe in what is being preached every day. Ayton's words after the win served as a great example of that. Ayon said, "It started in training camp, really just going as hard as you can. JJ not giving a crap who's out there. He wants to play Laker basketball. [It's about] just being coachable and doing what we're told. JJ's been in this game for a while, he's won, ... so anything he says, we can trust it in." The Lakers center added just how much that mindset has spread to every inch of the team. It was becoming fundamental.
