JJ Redick has been a big reason why the Los Angeles Lakers have become a contender for the NBA title. His ability to make adjustments and fix the Lakers’ defense once they traded Anthony Davis was remarkable.
The Lakers were expected to have a terrible defense once Davis was shipped to the Mavericks. Instead, their defense has been more than serviceable.
In fact, it was the biggest reason why the Lakers were able to win Game 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was surprising that they were able to hold Minnesota to just 85 points.
Redick was asked about what he saw on film after Game 2, and Redick was surprised by how well the defense looked.
Los Angeles was able to shut down the Timberwolves, which was the main reason why they won. They haven’t played a good offensive game yet in the playoffs.
The Lakers have the guys to score a ton of points, they just haven’t been able to accomplish that yet. It’s only a matter of time before Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves are all hitting on the same night.
Redick knows that, so it’s critical that he is able to get his team to keep playing the same stellar defense that they did in Game 2. That combination would make them a very dangerous team.
Minnesota shot just 38 percent from the field in Game 2. What was even better for the Lakers is that they were just 5-20 from beyond the 3-point arc.
If the Lakers can limit the opportunities that Minnesota has from three, they increase their chances of winning this series by a lot.
The Timberwolves won’t get any less long on the perimeter, though. The Lakers still need to find a way to get easier shots, both at the rim and beyond the 3-point arc.
Game 3 will give the Lakers a better idea of what the rest of the series will be like. If they can get their offense going a little bit, they will feel a lot better about their chances to win the series.
