Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick wants to make a major change in the NBA after his first regular season game as a coach, openly saying that he’ll be requesting the NBA to allow teams to pick from worn-in basketballs as well as brand-new basketballs after the Lakers 110-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, where the Lakers shot 5-30 from three-point range as a team.
“We got great looks. There were even some threes in the second half that I thought were wide open, and we just couldn’t t knock them down. I’m going to send in a request for the league tomorrow so that we can play with worn-in basketball.”
“I’m dead serious, I’m not sure why we’re playing in real games with brand-new basketballs. Anybody who’s ever touched the NBA ball brand-new, it’s a different feel and touch than a worn-in basketball.”
He revealed that he hadn’t noticed the issue until a timeout.
“I didn’t realize it until the timeout. There was a long rebound, I grabbed it. I was like, ‘What? Why are we playing with this ball?’ Give the guys an opportunity to pick a good basketball.
Redick: "I'm gonna send in a request for the league tomorrow that we can play with worn-in basketballs." pic.twitter.com/IQmPqMm3U0
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 23, 2024
Despite Redick’s concerns with the ball and the impact it had on the Lakers’ paltry shooting, the team performed really well in the seven-point win. Anthony Davis dominated with 36 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and three blocks.
Rui Hachimura put up 18 points and five rebounds, and LeBron James had 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Austin Reaves had 12 points and nine assists while Jaxson Hayes had 10 points and a block off the bench.
There was a clear offensive identity for the squad, with Redick running a lot of organized plays and sets to generate open three-pointers for his players. Those shots didn’t convert in the game but their defensive structure along with their efficiency on two-pointers allowed them to overwhelm the Timberwolves and pull the win out.
Redick was a 15-year NBA veteran and one of the best shooters of his era, so he knows what goes into shooting efficiency for players. A worn-in ball provides better traction to the players when they shoot, which allows them to have more control over the outcome of their shots. It makes sense to advocate this, but it’s unlikely the NBA will relent.
Game balls are handed out to teams and players after every contest, so it’s unlikely the NBA will be willing to bring balls forth from one game to the next.
The other alternative could be to have the balls artificially worn in before the start of the game, but unless other teams also complain, I don’t see how the league is incentivized to relent to Redick’s wishes.
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