With the arrival of JJ Redick as the new coach, the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to improve their offensive performance. One of the key strategies will be to involve Anthony Davis more in the game and give him a more prominent role in playmaking.
Anthony Davis, who has proven to be a dominant player on both ends of the floor, is comfortable taking a more active role on offense. Although LeBron James has traditionally been the primary playmaker, Redick plans to give Davis more opportunities to handle the ball and lead the offense.
“I’ve always been comfortable in that role,” Davis said during Lakers Media Day. “Every team I’ve played on, going back to New Orleans, I’ve always caught the ball in the middle of the floor, just kind of directing the offense and things like that, so that’ll be nothing new.
“As far as conversations, we’ve had a couple. Obviously, it was a busy summer and things like that. But I’m sure our conversations will be a little more in-depth now that the season has started. We’re able to be on the floor, go over things, talk, and communicate about how we want things to work—what I like, what I don’t like, what he likes, what he envisions—and build around that, especially with the roster we have. But I’m very comfortable having the ball and making plays from anywhere on the floor.”
LeBron James #23, Austin Reaves #15 and Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers attend a Los Angeles Lakers media day at UCLA Health Training Center on September 30, 2024 in El Segundo, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
How Anthony Davis and JJ Redick are working together to boost Lakers’ offense?
Davis and Redick have had conversations about Davis’s new role and how they can work together to maximize the team’s offensive potential. Although they didn’t have many opportunities to speak in depth over the summer, Davis is excited about working with Redick and learning from his experience as both a player and coach.
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“JJ played the game. Honestly, I didn’t have many conversations with JJ directly; it was more with Rob [Pelinka],” Davis added. “But Rob was telling me all these things about JJ, and I was giving my input on how I felt. Obviously, it’s different with him being a first-time head coach, so that’s a little different. But the principles and the schemes he wants to bring into our organization stood out to me, and I just relayed that to Rob and let him do his job from there.”
Redick’s plan with Davis to boost the Lakers’ three-point shooting
In addition to a more prominent role in playmaking, JJ Redick is also focused on improving Anthony Davis’s three-point shooting. Davis has struggled to maintain a high percentage from beyond the arc in recent years, and Redick has emphasized the importance of improving his outside shot.
“He’s been on me all summer about shooting 3s. Even during the Olympics, when I’d make a 3, he would text me saying, ‘That’s what I want to see,’ and things like that. So for him, it’s definitely going to be about shooting more 3s.”
