Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick addressed the ongoing discussion about the team’s high number of free throw attempts following their victory over the Brooklyn Nets on March 30. The Lakers went to the line 42 times, while Brooklyn had only 15 attempts.
The topic of free throw differentials has been a point of debate in recent NBA seasons, with some suggesting that the Lakers receive favorable officiating. However, Redick said after the game, “You know, people say ‘Lakers shoot a lot of free throws,’ that’s how teams guard us. They foul on every possession. That’s another team that fouls every possession. And so you have to factor that in. You’re tired and cranky and you gotta play through stuff and I thought our guys they managed it.”
Redick also pointed out that despite shooting well from the field for most of the game, his team did not attempt many three-pointers until late in the contest: “And then, from a field percentage standpoint we were over 50% for nearly the whole game we just didn’t get a lot of threes up and didn’t make a lot of threes. And then we made five of our last seven and that really opened things up for us.”
According to Redick, part of the reason for such a large disparity is due to both teams’ playing styles. The Nets are among league leaders in fouls per game while also taking more three-point shots than Los Angeles during this matchup—a combination which tends to result in fewer fouls drawn by jump-shooting teams.
Some observers have speculated that stars like Luka Doncic and LeBron James influence officiating decisions or benefit from being on a marquee franchise; however, analysis suggests it is more related to their offensive approach focused on attacking inside rather than relying heavily on outside shooting.
Looking ahead, both coaches and players continue to emphasize adapting strategies based on opponent tendencies as well as maintaining focus regardless of public narratives about officiating.
