Lakers are having fun with their postup drills
LOS ANGELES — NBA teams releasing footage from practices – specifically drills – is rare.
So it was notable when the Lakers posted on their social media X account of guards vs. bigs postup drills from Thursday’s practice ahead of Friday’s home game vs. the Phoenix Suns.
Especially because every player approached the drill with the enthusiasm of football players approaching the infamous Oklahoma drill.
“The way that [it’s] structured, it’s really two things: We’re obviously working, and the first time we did it, it was guards trying to score against the bigs [in] drop coverage, attacking the rim, had to score in the paint,” comment=”[in drop coverage, attacking the rim, to score in the paint” ] Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “And the second time was guards defending the bigs in the post.
“There’s real live-game situations, but it’s also just to get some juice in the gym.”
Redick even participated, guarding backup center Jaxson Hayes at one point during the drill.
“That was funny,” said forward Rui Hachimura, who mentioned he hasn’t lost when the Lakers have done the drill. “Jaxson was saying he got fouled. He got grabbed by his legs or whatever. But he missed, actually. … JJ, he was just a player, too. So he still can move and all that. So it was good to see the head coach just join our practice and just bring the energy up.”
In the modern NBA, which features more defensive switching, it’s important for guards to know how to hold their own against bigger players on postups.
The Lakers have been switching more on defense under Redick, making the drill even more imperative.
“It was well thought out,” guard D’Angelo Russell said. “Guards always switched on bigs. Bigs switched on guards throughout the flow of the game, throughout the crunch of the game. Sort of bring that atmosphere through practice. You got to get loose and get that stop that matters. I thought it was pretty neat.”
But as Redick said, getting the players amped up during the marathon that is the 82-game regular season is also important.
“It just makes our group [come] together,” Hachimura said. “It was more so us doing it for chemistry. It brings our chemistry together. I think it was good, especially [LeBron James] versus Bronny [James]. It was so funny. And everyone was just like, we can pick who we want to play against.”
BRONNY TO G LEAGUE
ESPN reported Friday afternoon that Bronny James, the Lakers’ second-round pick from June’s NBA draft and the son of LeBron James, will head to the organization’s G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, after the team’s upcoming five-game road trip that starts Monday against the Suns and ends Nov. 6 against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Redick didn’t confirm that’s going to happen, saying decisions are based off real-time circumstances, but acknowledged that the plan was always for Bronny James to play in the G League.
Most second-round picks spend at least a portion of their rookie season in the G League.
“The plan for Bronny to move between the Lakers roster and the South Bay roster, that’s always been the plan since Day One,” Redick said pregame. “[Lakers general manager] Rob [Pelinka] and I have talked about that. LeBron’s talked about that.”
AVAILABILITY
Cam Reddish (personal reasons) and Jalen Hood-Schifino (illness) weren’t available Friday, being ruled out the day of the game after not being on the team’s injury report Thursday.
Already without Jarred Vanderbilt, Christian Wood and Christian Koloko, the Lakers made two-way players Quincy Olivari and Armel Traore available against the Suns.