Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick made a calculated decision to give his players a much-needed day off following their hard-fought victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. With four full days without games, thanks to the NBA Emirates Cup schedule, Redick recognized the toll recent road games had taken on his squad.
Though Redick previously admitted the Lakers needed more practice to improve on both ends of the floor, he ultimately adjusted his approach due to injuries and player fatigue following a grueling stretch of road games.
“We haven’t had a ton of practice time, but the reality is that we are banged up,” Redick said after the Blazers game. “Even the guys that are playing every night are banged up. I would say tonight is the end of a very long two-week road trip. We’ve already had an 11-day road trip. Travel has been tough.”
Redick explained his thought process further: “So I would’ve liked to practice, but I think you do have to look at these opportunities, and they’re very rare, to give your guys two days off. Tuesday is not mandatory but will be sort of a recovery, get-what-you-need day for guys that need it. But heck, if somebody wants to go spend a couple nights in Santa Barbara and relax, that’s fine too.”
With the Lakers emerging from a demanding travel schedule, the extended break is expected to help the team reset. Players like Anthony Davis also believes Lakers will benefit from rest before payback against Timberwolves.
Redick explains sitting LeBron James against Blazers
LeBron James, who turns 40 later this month, was given the night off against the Blazers to prioritize his health. With the Lakers no longer in contention for the NBA Cup, Redick saw this as a unique opportunity to give the superstar extra rest.
“Yeah, I mean, you don’t want him out of the lineup, that’s for sure,” Redick admitted. “But it is an opportunity to get four days’ rest before we practice again. So it could be really good for him.”
Rui Hachimura on rest and reset
Rui Hachimura, who played a crucial role in the Lakers’ win against Portland, echoed Redick’s sentiments about the value of rest after the team’s demanding schedule.
“I think we need to rest, but also we need to kind of reset and get back to what we had in our first 10 games,” Hachimura said. “We were really good. We have that, we just, we kind of broke that rhythm, but I think we can get back easily. So we just got to focus on that.”
The Lakers hope that this strategic pause will recharge the team and reignite their strong start as they prepare for the challenges ahead.