LOS ANGELES — Head coach JJ Redick is making one thing crystal clear to his roster following early-season tape reviews: if you pass up wide-open jump shots created by Luka Dončić’s and Austin Reaves’ gravity, you will be watching the rest of the game from the bench. The warning comes after multiple instances where Hesitant Lakers Wings turned down clean catch-and-shoot opportunities to pump-fake into a crowded paint. In Redick’s high-octane offensive scheme, keeping the floor spaced around elite playmakers is mandatory. When role players hesitate, the entire offense stalls out, prompting Redick to publicly declare that rotation changes will happen swiftly if players continue turning down open looks.
Why These Hesitant Lakers Wings Ruin Spacing
When double-teams collapse on Luka and Reaves, the extra pass must result in an immediate shot rather than a dribble move. The sequence is simple: Luka Dončić draws the defense, kicks out to an open wing, and that wing must pull the trigger immediately. Pump-faking and driving into traffic kills the offensive advantage, helps the defense to recover, and stalls possession rhythm. Turn down those wide-open looks, and you completely destroy the numerical advantage constructed by the play.
The Jake LaRavia Statistical Paradox
The hesitation issue produces fascinating and confusing statistical profiles across the rotation. Forward Jake LaRavia is knocking down a blistering 50.0 percent of his three-point attempts across the early stretch. Yet, despite hitting half his attempts from deep, his volume has actually dropped down to 2.3 three-point attempts per game compared to 3.0 attempts last season.
Having an elite floor-spacer shoot 50 percent from behind the arc while taking fewer shots illustrates the exact problem Redick highlighted. Instead of letting it fly immediately when receiving kickout passes, Jake LaRavia has frequently opted to pump-fake and attack driving lanes. While aggressive downhill drives have their place, Redick needs his best shooters to trust their release without second-guessing open looks.
Quentin Grimes Struggles Compounding Floor Pressure
On the other end of the spectrum, Quentin Grimes has battled an outright shooting slump to start the campaign, connecting on just 25.0 percent of his three-point tries. That lack of rhythm has noticeably bled into his decision-making. Rather than shooting through the slump to keep defenders honest, Grimes has begun passing up open looks entirely, turning wide-open three-pointers into contested possessions or turnovers.
During postgame media availability following recent action, Jovan Buha reported Redick’s exact frustration with the perimeter group:
“JJ Redick said there were at least four instances in which players passed up open 3s, and he said he’s going to start pulling players out of the game if they pass up on those moving forward.”
That places immense-but-necessary pressure on the role players. Redick cannot afford to play rotational pieces who undermine the floor spacing.
Bench Ultimatum Reshapes Rotation Battles
Moving forward, the mandate for the team is straightforward: catch and shoot, or take a seat on the sideline. Redick understands that defense collapses the moment role players lose confidence in their shot. Whether it is Jake LaRavia needing to increase his volume or Quentin Grimes needing to shoot through early cold spells, the front office and coaching staff are aligned on holding role players accountable.
It will be interesting to see how JJ Redick implements this mandate. Would he really bench Grimes who’s on a four-year, $60 million deal? Time will tell, as always.
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