This past offseason, Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick stated he had a theory for why Anthony Davis’ jump shot had declined. Redick didn’t share what it was, but Davis has started shooting better under his guidance (56.1% from the field and 42.9% from three) and is now an MVP candidate with averages of 31.1 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game in 2024-25.
Davis’ excellent play is a big reason why the Lakers have gotten off to an impressive 9-4 start, but how exactly has Redick fixed the big man’s shooting woes that had plagued him in recent seasons? Well, to get the answer to that question, let’s first look at the nine-time All-Star’s shot zone chart for the 2023-24 season.
What’s fairly evident there, is that Davis struggled shooting from the corners when it came to threes and deep twos, especially from the left. He went 3-17 (17.6%) and 2-7 (28.6%) from the left, and 0-1 (0%) and 2-4 (50%) from the right.
Davis also wasn’t quite as efficient as you’d like when he was a bit closer to the basket on the left, as he went 29-73 (39.7%) in that zone. So, those left zones were a clear problem area for the 31-year-old, and when we look at his shot zone chart for 2024-25, we see that he’s attempting fewer shots from there now.
Davis has not attempted a single three-pointer from that left corner and has gone 0-1 from the right. He is also just 1-1 on deep twos from the left and right. It seems clear that Redick has instructed him not to take those shots.
Davis is still shooting a fair bit from that left zone near the basket and is struggling, having gone 1-9 (11.1%). The percentage of shots he is taking from that zone has gone down a bit, though, from 5.7% in 2023-24 to 3.9% in 2024-25
Redick’s plan has been rather simple but effective by the looks of it. Put up shots from zones you’re good at and avoid the ones where you aren’t. When you take a look at Davis’ heat map, a very clear pattern emerges of where his coach wants him to shoot from.
A play we’ve seen the Lakers run time and again this season has been Davis setting a pick on the left and then dropping to the top. It gets him a wide-open three-pointer and he has been making them at a good clip so far.
Here are all the spots Davis has made field goals from this season and you’ll see there’s almost nothing in those problem zones.
As I said, it’s been a simple yet effective strategy. When Redick mentioned that he had a theory for why Davis had struggled shooting the ball, he also stated he would reveal it if it were correct. Well, if this was indeed his theory then I suppose he will speak on it at some point.
Redick has gotten a lot of things right in his short time with the Lakers so far. What impressed me the most was his getting the team back on track after they faced some adversity. The Lakers had lost four of five games after starting the season 3-0 but then bounced back by winning five in a row.
One of those wins came against the Memphis Grizzlies and Redick flashed his brilliance by making a game-winning decision against them. The 40-year-old sure is proving the doubters wrong as of now and it’s safe to say his lack of experience hasn’t been a problem.
Redick will now look to mastermind a sixth straight win when the Lakers take on the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday at 10:30 PM ET. It’s also an NBA Cup game and the holders currently have a 1-0 record.
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