Last April nearly 30 minutes into a conversation with defending NCAA champion coach Dan Hurley, then podcaster/broadcaster JJ Redick asked Hurley about a specific offensive action the Huskies were running.
By putting a non-shooting big man in the corner and throwing a cross-court pass to him, the opposing center is forced out of the paint to guard an opposing center, creating passing, cutting and driving lanes.
“Where… did you steal that play from?” Redick asked Hurley on his podcast.
Friday, in his first match as the Lakers‘new head coach, Redick opened the game by stealing Hurley’s set. And while the play created an open three for Rui Hachimura, it didn’t lead to points.
Whether it was inspiration or a nice nod to offseason planning where Redick became the Lakers’ head coach only after Hurley turned them down is unknown. What is clear, however, is that during the first week of Lakers basketball, Redick worked hard to deprive himself of results, instead encouraging his team, and himself, to pour themselves into the process.
Fortunately for the Lakers, the results don’t count right now.
Read more: D’Angelo Russell pulls no punches when talking about JJ Redick’s “high IQ.”
Despite some good moments from a couple of young players, the Lakers’ preseason opener and Redick’s tenure getting off to a rough start, Minnesota dominates in 124-107 Timberwolves win Friday night at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert.
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis sitting out the game and Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle sitting for Minnesota, there were plenty of opportunities for role players to stand out.
For the Lakers, that meant rookie Dalton Knecht and third-year guard Max Christie showing they could be part of Redick’s rotation.
Knecht made seven of 13 shots and finished with 16 points, tied with Austin Reaves for a team high. Christie scored 11 and grabbed seven rebounds.
Rookie Bronny James, playing for the first time in his NBA career, scored his only points on a driving left-handed layup late in the fourth quarter with the Lakers down 20. The crowd erupted. He also had three blocked shots.
James is not expected to be in the daily plans of the Lakers this season, but who and how Redick will use from his bench is still being calculated.
“I’ll just be honest, we preach organization and we preach structure,” Redick said before the game. “We obviously give guys freedom within that structure, but I have to be able to trust you that you know what the hell is going on on both ends of the floor.”
Read more: Lakers newsletter: Max Christie leads a list of young Lakers to watch in the preseason
Early on, it seemed no one did.
The Lakers trailed by as many as 20 points in the first half with Minnesota’s starters only playing one shift in the first quarter.
But led by Christie and Knecht, the Lakers worked their way back into the game early in the fourth before Minnesota pulled away.
The Lakers, who promised to shoot more triples under Redick, shot 10 for 32 from deep.
The Lakers play again on Sunday, this time hosting Phoenix at Acrisure Arena.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
