JJ Redick’s first playoff run as the Los Angeles Lakers head coach did not fall apart because of effort; it collapsed under the weight of perfection.
Few have summed it up better than Andy Kamenetzky, a guest who joined Jovan Buha’s podcast Buha’s Block. Kamenetzky offered a blunt but fair evaluation of Redick’s postseason decisions.
Redick’s playoff mistakes came from chasing perfection
“JJ Redick during the playoffs overthought a lot of stuff, kind of panicked and went galaxy brain in a few places,” Kamenetzky said. “Overall I think JJ cut off more options than he actually had.”
The issue with Redick last season was that he was so focused on finding ideal matchups and lineups that he ignored workable alternatives. He had a couple of really baffling decisions in the postseason.
In Game 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he refused to make any substitutions during the second half of the game. Four guys on the team ended up playing 40-plus minutes.
In Game 5, Redick refused to use Jaxson Hayes, even with the Lakers getting clearly outmuscled inside. Rudy Gobert ended up punishing the Lakers in the paint that night, finishing with 27 points and 24 rebounds, and sending the team home.
“If you’re unwilling to go anywhere that isn’t perfect or pretty close to perfect, you’re just limiting your options too much,” Kamenetzky added.
In the NBA Playoffs, options are everything.
The real story now is how Redick responds now. This summer, the Lakers addressed many of the gaps that put Redick in a bind.
They added a hungry DeAndre Ayton, who is a starting-caliber big that can finish inside and clean the glass. They even brought in Marcus Smart, who not only brings defense but also a special kind of intensity.
“I think JJ will grow from it,” said Kamenetzky. “And I think the team having the benefit of starting this season with more depth and with Luka and LeBron in particular with JJ… it’s going to make a really big difference.”
Still, no amount of depth will matter if Redick does not evolve. Coaching is not about finding perfection; it is about navigating problems in real time. Redick’s willingness to adapt, improvise, and trust less-than-ideal options may determine how far this roster can actually go.
He has the fresh season ahead. He has the players. And now, he has to prove he can coach when things get tough. This season is Redick’s reset. That is, only if he is ready to stop narrowing his options and start solving what is in front of him.
