Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick said on Apr. 18 that the team will focus on extending their postseason run as they prepare to start the series against the Houston Rockets without key players Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Both players are expected to miss at least the beginning of the series due to injuries.
The absence of two top scorers puts added pressure on the rest of the roster as they face a challenging playoff matchup. Redick addressed how this situation shapes both his strategy and expectations for his team in Game 1, emphasizing resilience and collective effort.
“The mindset for our team and for those two guys, like we’re gonna try to make this season as long as possible so that we can get those guys back at some point,” Redick said after Friday’s practice. “We don’t know what that is, and that’s just our job. And their job is to do everything they can to be in a position to come back at some point. It may not work, but that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Redick also spoke about preparing his squad during nearly a week off before the playoffs began, urging them all week to elevate their play in every aspect—on offense, defense, recovery, attention to detail, and preparation.
“I think the word we’ve used all week is ‘elevate.’ I think that’s what it is, we all know the playoffs are different, they’re harder,” he said. “There’s no easy matchups and you have to be able to elevate your play. But beyond that, it’s elevating your recovery, your attention to detail, your preparation… And we’ve all collectively got to elevate and particularly when you’re missing two of your top guys; part of elevating is elevating each other. And the belief that the group as a whole can be great.”
Redick acknowledged that losing two star players makes winning more difficult but said he would quickly learn if his roster could meet this challenge together.
