Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick is pleased with the way one of his most pivotal players is showing his stuff through the preseason, and not for an obvious reason.
Lakers HC JJ Redick raves about Austin Reaves’ impressive defensive skills
Lakers star guard/forward Austin Reaves has left an impression on his rookie head coach for the way he’s played defense in lead-up to the 2024-25 NBA campaign. Per Corey Hansford of Lakers Nation, coach Redick had this to say about how pleased he is with the work that Reaves has done on that end of the floor:
“I never thought he was a chump defensively, but he competes his ass off on that end,” Redick said about Reaves. “He knows what he’s supposed to do. He’s in the right spots. If he’s supposed to veer, he veers. If he’s supposed to be the low man, he’s the low man. If he’s supposed to be at the nail, he’s at the nail. He just does a lot of really good things on the basketball floor.”
The Lakers should feel encouraged about Reaves upping the ante on defense
Reaves is a talented scorer and playmaker who thrives at finding his own shot off the bounce, finishing over defenders for tough makes, and making plays for his teammates. However, his defense is a reflection of the energy he brings to the basketball floor on a nightly basis and his high IQ for seeing the game.
Redick spelled out the many ways in which the 6-5, 206-pound wing has flexed his technical proficiency on the defensive end in his short time coaching him up. It is encouraging for the franchise and their fanbase to hear that one of their best players is proving himself to be a threat on that end.
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How Reaves can help the Lakers improve their underwhelming defense from 2023-24
The Lakers would greatly benefit from the 26-year-old helping anchor their perimeter defense next time out. Los Angeles finished No. 17 in the league in defensive rating (114.8), allowed teams to shoot the sixth-highest three-point percentage (37.6 percent), and had the lowest point differential (+0.5) among all 19 teams that outscored their opponents on average last season.
If Redick’s assessment of the Arkansas native — who finished second-to-last on L.A.’s roster in defensive rating (114.6) and sported an underwhelming defensive win shares peripheral (2.0) last season — holds up in the upcoming regular season, he could help the Lakers improve dramatically in those areas and field a defense that can support their ultra-talented offense in pursuit of a championship.
