Redick: La Lavia's aggression and confidence have been a great help to us.

In another key game of the 2025/26 NBA regular season, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 120-114, thanks to goals from Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Jack LaLavia. Head coach JJ Redick stated in an interview that Jack LaLavia's aggressiveness and confidence during the game were a huge help to the team.

According to the data, Luka Doncic scored 36 points and 8 assists in this game, LeBron James scored 26 points and 10 assists, while Jack LaLavia contributed 26 points and 4 assists for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick said, "At halftime, I asked the players if there was anything the opponent did that we needed to adjust specifically. Their answer was absolutely not. I mean, part of the problem is still the opponent's early offense. Sometimes the problem isn't how we defend a certain play or how we limit a certain player, but whether the whole team can form a common effort and mentality and quickly complete the defense."

“Deandre Ayton was outstanding on defense in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter, where he made several crucial defensive plays for us in the paint. Before the game, I told the players to improve their overall execution, especially after timeouts. We did better in this game, only messing up once after a timeout, and otherwise doing very well.”

When discussing Jake LaLavia's performance, Redick said, "After the game, I spoke to the whole team about him, especially in the first half. His aggression and confidence helped us a lot. One key point we've been emphasizing all season is to be ready to shoot after receiving the ball in the 0.5-second decision-making time. He also played a great game defensively, constantly disrupting and breaking down defenses. These contributions aren't just reflected in his scoring."

“This is a very important step in terms of protecting possession. We created 26 potential assists in the first half, but only converted 12 of them. However, I think the players maintained trust and passed the ball to each other throughout the game.”

In addition, Redick said, "Jack LaLavia might be a bit better defensively; he's always been one of our most consistent players in that area. He always maintains a very high level of commitment, and it's really fun to coach a player like that."