J.J. Redick's complaint out of Lakers' opener: Why are we playing with brand new basketballs?

J.J. Redick Urges Lakers to Increase 3-Point Shooting

LOS ANGELES — J. slotvip red envelope loginJ. Redick is pushing for the Lakers to elevate their 3-point shooting significantly compared to last season. During the first half of their opening night game against the Timberwolves, they attempted 19 threes but only managed to sink two of them. ti 12 qualified teams Overall, the Lakers finished the game shooting 5-of-30 from beyond the arc. gadi One might argue this performance was due to an off night, or perhaps, more realistically, the Lakers may not have a roster stacked with sharp shooters, which means these kinds of games are likely to recur.

Redick voiced another concern that he believes affected his team’s performance: the use of brand new, unbroken-in basketballs. He plans to make this known to the league. “I’m going to send in a request for the league tomorrow that we can play with worn-in basketballs,” Redick shared with a chuckle during the postgame conference. “I’m dead serious — I don’t understand why we’re playing real games with brand-new basketballs. Anyone who has ever handled a brand-new NBA ball knows the feel is different compared to a worn-in one.”

He further explained, “I didn’t realize it until a timeout. There was a long rebound, and when I grabbed it, I thought, ‘What? Why are we using this ball? Let the players have the chance to choose a good basketball.’ You might think I’m joking, but I’m serious about this.”

Redick’s concerns are valid; as a former elite shooter, he had his preferences regarding basketball characteristics. It will be interesting to see how league officials react to his complaint. For context, the Timberwolves were using the same type of ball but shot 13-of-41 (31 .7%) from 3-point range — not exceptional, but still an improvement over the Lakers’ performance.

Fortunately for the Lakers, Redick’s concerns had a positive impact on their opening night. The team’s offensive play exhibited much more movement than in previous seasons, with less LeBron James standing at the top of the key. In fact, LeBron was more off-ball throughout the game. Anthony Davis enjoyed a breakout performance, scoring 36 points and grabbing 16 rebounds while showcasing his dominance on the court. Redick identified the Lakers shifted away from the 3-point shot in the second half; instead, they effectively exploited the paint, netting 72 points on 59 shots inside. “The paint was open in the second half,” Redick commented. “We attempted around 19 threes in the first half, which was on track for our season average for a full game. We got some great looks, and there were even some wide-open threes in the second half that we just couldn’t convert.”

This Lakers team appeared more like the 2022-23 squad that effectively bullied opponents inside, leading them to the Western Conference Finals apac predator league 2024 dota 2. While it’s merely one game out of 82, it’s a promising start for Redick and the Lakers, controlling the pace of the game against a Timberwolves team that reached the Western Conference Finals last season (albeit with a different lineup). Imagine how much better they could perform with basketballs that are well broken-in! What do you think about the impact of using worn-in basketballs on player performance?