The Los Angeles Lakers fell short of the lofty expectations placed on the team following their midseason acquisition of Luka Doncic. They were eliminated from the postseason by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round, bowing out after just five games.
Many have questioned the performance of head coach JJ Redick in his first postseason run on the sidelines, particularly due to his desire to stick with a small-ball lineup despite Minnesota's significant size advantage. During a recent episode of his podcast "Mind the Game", Lakers superstar LeBron James revealed that the roster remains confident in him.
"By the way, none of us questioned it," LeBron James stated Thursday. "None of us questioned JJ and the coaching staff for what happened. Obviously, Gabe (Vincent) and (Jarred Vanderbilt), guys that come -- have given us so many great minutes, they definitely felt a way because they're competitors. (Expletive), we all feel like we can get in and make a moment happen. Which JJ told us, it wasn't a decision that was based on guys not being able to do the job. It was his decision based on the feeling of the game and the momentum of the game. None of us looked at him or the coaching staff in any way for the decision that he made. And, (expletive), it was our fault that we didn't come through."
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Redick came under fire for playing starting center Jaxson Hayes just 31 total minutes throughout the series -- and benching him entirely in Game 5. His decision particularly haunted the team in the final game of the series as Rudy Gobert erupted for 27 points and 24 rebounds -- both postseason career-highs -- while shooting 12-15 from the field.
He also faced criticism for his decision to play James, Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Dorian Finney-Smith the entire second half of Game 4. It marked the first time in postseason history that a team went an entire half without making a substitution. Redick has shared that he plans to learn from his postseason experience as a head coach and get better.
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