JJ Redick already knows where he will begin the Los Angeles Lakers’ preparations for next season after the coach watched his team fade in its first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“I’ll start with the offseason and the work that’s required in an offseason to be in championship shape,” Redick said Thursday, a day after the Wolves eliminated the Lakers with a 103-96 victory in Los Angeles.
“We have a ways to go as a roster,” Redick added during his news conference with general manager Rob Pelinka. “Certainly, there are individuals that were in phenomenal shape. There’s certainly other ones that could have been in better shape. That’s where my mind goes immediately, is we have to get in championship shape.”
Redick didn’t mention any players by name, but Luka Dončić’s perceived lack of attention to conditioning and to maintaining his weight was widely reported as one of the reasons Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison was moved to trade one of the NBA’s best young scorers for Anthony Davis.
Redick likely didn’t mean his comment specifically as a shot at Dončić because the two have been close since their two and a half months as teammates with the Mavs at the end of Redick’s playing career. Dončić praised Redick on Wednesday night after the Lakers’ season ended.
“I think he’s a hell of a coach,” Doncic said. “I’m really glad I got coached by him these couple of months. It feels sometimes like I’m back in Europe a little bit, so I love it. We have a great bond. It’s been nothing but amazing with him as a coach.”
Redick apparently felt fitness was an issue in the Lakers’ inability to execute in the fourth quarter against Minnesota. The Wolves outscored the Lakers 127-85 in the final periods of the first-round matchup, rallying past them to win the final three games in a row.
Redick didn’t help matters in Game 4 when he refused to make a substitution in the second half, watching as the Wolves rallied past his tired players with the help of a couple of fortunate refereeing decisions. But Redick saw the overall results as fair to the Lakers, who attempted to contend for a championship despite making a blockbuster midseason trade — a gamble that has rarely paid off immediately in NBA history.
“We lost to a better team,” Redick said. “That’s just the reality. We did.”
The Lakers will have more time than they expected to prepare for their first full season with Dončić on their roster. Pelinka made it clear the Lakers also anticipate having LeBron James for at least another season, even if the top scorer in NBA history said Wednesday that he’ll need time to decide whether to return for a record 23rd season.
“The level of confidence in Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Luka Dončić is at an all-time high still,” Pelinka said. “I think those three guys have incredible promise playing together, and we will collectively do a better job to make sure they’re surrounded with the right pieces to have ultimate success.”
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Pelinka repeatedly mentioned Reaves alongside the two superstars as the pillars of the Lakers’ current roster, which is probably good news for Reaves. The former undrafted free agent who played his way into a major role is one of the Lakers’ most valuable assets as they look for deals to improve their roster, but Pelinka and Redick both emphasized Reaves’ value as a player, not a trade chip.
Pelinka still intends to make significant additions to the Lakers during an offseason in which he predicts widespread movement around the league.
Atop Pelinka’s shopping list is a top-flight center — a glaring weakness in this series, particularly in Game 5 when Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert was allowed to dominate while Redick benched Jaxson Hayes in a bid to create more offense. Pelinka traded for Charlotte center Mark Williams at the deadline, only for the Lakers to rescind the deal after medical examinations.
“I think when you make a huge trade at the deadline where you trade your starting center for a point guard, of course, that’s going to create significant issues with the roster, and we saw some of those play out,” Pelinka said.
Pelinka also said the Lakers need another wing defender, and more outside shooting will always be necessary. He plans to mold the roster specifically to complement Dončić and the 40-year-old James, whose game is still world-class.
“I think LeBron is going to have high expectations for the roster, and we’re going to do everything we can to meet those,” Pelinka said. “But I also know that whatever it is, he’s still going to give his 110 percent every night.”
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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