D’Angelo Russell Lauds JJ Redick’s Coaching Through Training Camp

New Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick has already won over point guard D'Angelo Russell with his intelligent play-calling in training camp.

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Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers took a risky bet when they hired JJ Redick as their new head coach, with Redick having 0 coaching experience at any competitive level. But it seems that the 15-year NBA veteran has taken to coaching like a fish to water, with point guard D’Angelo Russell hailing Redick as the first coach he’s been able to build a relationship with while praising his play-calling through training camp to ESPN.

“I’m not throwing shots at anybody … but I’ve never really had the opportunity to build a relationship with a coach over a long period of time.” 

“For me, to see how JJ is trying to bring the play calls and just level of IQ into each practice and each film session, to see how he’s prioritizing that. I’ve always been a guy that wants to prioritize high IQ, [high-level] verbiage, [high-level] film sessions … like, let’s rise to that. And he’s obviously doing that. It’s something to look forward to.”

“I was on the golf course and I was thinking about it (a play Redick drew up in camp) and I sent JJ a little voice note, thanking him for putting that [play] out. I’d never seen it. I’m not trying to hype it up but I thanked him for showing me that… I saw him getting into his bag right there and it’s exciting for players to notice stuff like that.”

Russell averaged 18.0 points and 6.3 assists on 41.5% from three last season despite his broken relationship with his coach, so it’ll be interesting to see how he plays for Redick this season.


D’Angelo Russell And Darvin Ham Kept Clashing Last season

D’Angelo Russell had a complicated relationship with former Lakers coach Darvin Ham which seemed to hit a boiling point by the end of the season. Ham would throw Russell under the bus during exit interviews before getting fired by the franchise in a shockingly weak move for an NBA coach.

“It’s amazing how people just skip that core part of having a consistency with your lineup is all predicated on health and performance. If you’re coaching a team and one of your starters is like 10 games in a row, just s**ting the bed, what are you going to do?”

Russell and many teammates couldn’t hide his dissatisfaction with Ham when he was benched at various points last season, with Russell even publicly rejecting Ham condescendingly saying that he believed in D’Lo during a rough spell.

During media day, Russell clearly highlighted the difference between Redick’s coaching and what they had last season, dropping some shady comments about Ham’s lack of structure for the team.

“I do too, but you know how that goes. I think, last year, we didn’t really have the structure defensively that we needed as a team. And that kind of hurt me a little bit, trying to help my team. Like I said, JJ is trying to push structure everywhere and implement it everywhere…”

It was clear that the Lakers were playing without a set structure last season, but with Redick on the squad now, it’ll be interesting to see how the Lakers perform this season with the same core Ham took to the first round.

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is a content manager for Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. With his expertise in NBA content creation, Ishaan brings a wealth of experience to his role, contributing to the site's authority and reach within the basketball community. Over the last year, Ishaan has interviewed Ray Allen and Mark Tatum, while also covering the 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games which saw the Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.Since joining Fadeaway World in March 2022, Ishaan Bhattacharya has become known for his unique perspective on the NBA. He consistently delivers this insight through his daily news coverage and detailed opinion pieces on the most significant topics in the league.Before his tenure at Fadeaway World, Ishaan worked in corporate communications, where he serviced prominent sports brands, including NBA India, Sports18, Amazon Prime Sports, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. This experience in strategic communications for leading sports entities has enhanced his ability to craft impactful narratives and connect with a global audience.A true MFFLer (Mavs Fan for Life, for the uninitiated), Ishaan is a massive fan of the Dallas Mavericks. When he is not upset about Jalen Brunson walking in free agency, you can see Ishaan as an avid gamer and content creator. His passion for basketball extends beyond the Mavericks, as evidenced by his thoughtfully curated NBA Mount Rushmore, featuring LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell—each representing distinct eras and bringing their unique qualities to the game.Featured On: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher ReportYahoo Sports, NBA, Fox Sports, The Spun
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