The Lakers beat the Pelicans tonight 111-103, courtesy of 30-point games from LeBron James and Luka Doncic. James finished with 30 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists while shooting 10-19 from the field (52.6%) and 3-5 from the three-point line (60.0%).
Meanwhile, the Slovenian star Doncic had 30 points, 10 assists, and two rebounds while shooting 11-22 from the floor (50.0%) and 3-10 from beyond the arc (30.0%).
Following the game, the Lakers’ head coach JJ Redick spoke to the media about the 41-year-old LeBron James and addressed how he adjusts his expectations of James on a nightly basis.
“I know LeBron, I know how much he puts into this. I think it’s just recognizing game-to-game what he has. He’s Greg Maddux at the end of his career. Every night he doesn’t have his best stuff, but he has enough to win, and I’m his catcher, so I’ve got to figure out how to call the pitch.”
“Sometimes he tells me to f-off, and he calls his own pitch, which is fine too,” admitted Redick, subtly hinting that James often has the freedom to call his own plays.
“But to me, it really is [figuring out] what’s the best way to utilize him tonight based on the opponent, based on the coverage, and based on how he’s moving.”
Redick went on to detail how he has conversations with James during the game to figure out what would be the best way to use his skills in a particular matchup. Therefore, even at age 41, James has a significant influence over the team’s coaching strategies.
“To me, what he’s doing at 41 and what he did at 40, it’s greatness but a different form of greatness,” concluded Redick.
There have been reports that other role players on the team have also begun ignoring instructions from Redick. Some might say that James is setting a bad example for his younger teammates.
But even Redick recently had an outburst where he admitted some Lakers players are not following his instructions. Even Deandre Ayton seemed to downplay Redick’s comments, saying the Lakers’ practice will be uncomfortable.
Therefore, just like Nick Young previously criticized the Lakers for failing to create a distinction between the role players and the stars, a clear distinction here needs to be made on who can and who cannot overrule Redick in coaching decisions.
Otherwise, mayhem will follow, and just like it happened with Mike Brown during his time on the Lakers and the Kings. Despite getting results, Redick could stand to be at risk of losing the Lakers locker room’s respect and eventually his position with the team.
