The Los Angeles Lakers are once again chasing championship glory in the 2025-26 season. After a busy offseason and a few bold roster changes, Lakers’ second-year head coach JJ Redick is making sure everyone on the team understands what it takes to win.
What’s JJ Redick’s Strategy To Build a Top-Level Defense?
Last year, the Lakers’ Achilles heel was the defense. According to Statmuse, they ranked 15th with defensive ratings of 114.7.
Particularly lacking at the center, the Lakers’ defensive issues became glaringly obvious when players like Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels exploited their lack of a reliable rim protector in the 2025 playoffs.
But things have changed in the postseason. The Lakers have made moves to bolster their defense and give Luka Dončić and LeBron James the best chance of torching their opponents.
But still, coach Redick thinks that building a process and following it relentlessly will improve the defense and not just accumulate a bunch of talented players.
Speaking to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Redick explained what truly makes a defense great.
“Building our habits, building our communication, and being in great shape. That’s how you build a great defense,” Redick said. “I could have put ‘championship defense’ up there. What does that mean? It doesn’t mean anything. You’ve got to have great habits. You’ve got to be able to communicate; that builds trust. You’ve got to be in elite shape so you can play harder. It’s that simple.”
Redick’s point was simple: Championships aren’t built overnight. They come from daily work, trust, and consistency. Last year, Redick did a good job of winning the locker room.
His deep understanding of how to develop a motion offense and get players in the best spot to succeed has particularly earned praise.
Lakers’ Offseason Moves Show They’re Buying Into Redick’s Message
The Lakers have made major defensive upgrades this offseason. They signed Marcus Smart, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, to a two-year, $11 million deal to tighten their perimeter defense. Smart’s grit and leadership give the Lakers the kind of edge Redick wants his team to play with.
They also added DeAndre Ayton, a proven rim protector and rebounder, to control the paint. Alongside James and Dončić, these additions aim to fix the Lakers’ defensive struggles that showed up during last season’s playoff loss to Minnesota.
The Lakers haven’t lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy since 2020, but with Redick’s mindset and their new defensive pieces, they might finally have the right formula to make another deep playoff push. Los Angeles opens its season on October 21 against the Golden State Warriors.
