With the Lakers trailing 2-1 of their sequence in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and going through a (in all probability insurmountable) 3-1 deficit within the first spherical of the NBA Playoffs, head coach JJ Redick decided: He was both going to sink or swim with the blokes who bought him so far.
That’s actually the one justification for why Redick performed starters LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura the complete closing 24 minutes of recreation time, whereas additionally benching nominal beginning middle Jaxson Hayes for Dorian Finney-Smith (who additionally performed the complete second half).
If that appeared like a daring — and probably unprecedented — determination to anybody watching the sport, it seems that’s as a result of it was. As NBA stats guru Keerthika Uthayakumar identified after the Lakers’ 116-113 Recreation 4 loss, Redick is the primary coach to ever do that within the playoffs for the reason that NBA began play-by-play monitoring:
JJ Redick simply grew to become the primary coach within the play-by-play period to play 5 gamers for a complete half within the playoffs.
James, Doncic, Reaves, Hachimura & Finney-Smith performed the complete second half as we speak.
– Keerthika Uthayakumar (@Kerthikau) April 27, 2025
The Lakers’ field rating is fairly wild consequently, with Luka (coming off a abdomen flu that noticed him in mattress the complete earlier day!) and LeBron ending with 46 minutes apiece, whereas Hachimura and Finney-Smith performed 41 every, and Reaves ended the sport with 35. Hayes, who’s dangerous at basketball however however tall sufficient to stay the Lakers’ ostensible beginning middle, completed with one four-minute shift, and no Laker exterior of the second-half starters performed greater than 13 minutes.
With teaching strategic selections, the principles for our collective reminiscences are easy: If you happen to do one thing that’s by no means been executed earlier than and win, you’re a pioneering genius. If you happen to do it and lose, nonetheless, you gained’t be second-guessed for eternity… however that’s simply because we’ve already determined you’re an fool who ought to have stolen just a few extra minutes for Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt and even Hayes in order that the Lakers’ foremost guys didn’t quick rim seemingly each shot they took within the closing 5 minutes of recreation time.
That final bit is hyperbolic, as Redick is clearly a sensible man who has principally executed properly with a wonky roster after the seismic and surprising commerce for Luka Doncic. Nevertheless it’s additionally secure to say he in all probability didn’t, as a rookie coach, wish to go down as the primary bench chief to ever do this in a recreation his group misplaced by one basket to fall down 3-1 within the sequence as a substitute of tied at 2-2.
It’s additionally, as he instructed reporters after the sport, not one thing he deliberate going into the sport, however a name he made at halftime and confirmed to stated gamers going into the fourth quarter:
JJ Redick: “Not a deliberate factor to play 5 (guys) the complete second half…these guys gave so much.”
– Khobi Worth (@khobi_price) April 27, 2025
Finally, their effort was in useless, although, as was Redick’s daring strategic name, which means that it’s in all probability unlikely one other coach will strive it once more anytime soo-… oh, wait, Tom Thibodeau is certainly making an attempt this subsequent recreation now that he is aware of it’s each bodily potential and authorized, huh?
Nicely, in that case, perhaps Redick can console himself with the information that a minimum of he might not be alone on this membership for lengthy.
