Lakers Insider: 'Vibes at an All-Time High' Entering JJ Redick's 1st Year as HC
October 2, 2024
Los Angeles Lakers reporter Jovan Buha of The Athletic says the "vibes around the Lakers are at an all-time high" during training camp ahead of JJ Redick's first season as head coach.
"This is my fifth season covering the Lakers and my fifth training camp, and I cannot remember the Lakers having this kind of positive, joyous, and upbeat energy to this extent in any of the previous four training camps," Buha said on Wednesday's episode of his podcast Buha's Block (12:00 mark of the video below.) "That's not hyperbole—it's my honest opinion and assessment of what I'm witnessing."
Buha continued: "Walking into the gym today, under the previous regime, you'd typically see all six courts taken, but it would be a lot of half-speed drills or guys doing post-workout shooting. Today, however— and yes, it was the first day of camp, so we'll see if this continues—it was intense. They were blaring music with DJ M.I.L. playing in the corner, mixing old-school rap with modern tracks. It's common for music to play at NBA practices, but having a live DJ during and after practice was a nice touch."
Buha described Tuesday's practice as an "upbeat, high-intensity environment" highlighted by drills involving both Lakers star LeBron James and his son, 2024 second-round pick Bronny James.
"Players were going through drills and shooting at game-style speed, and the intensity stood out, especially with LeBron, Bronny, and Max Christie doing shooting drills together," Buha said.
The Lakers are preparing to open the preseason this Friday with a home contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Redick himself spoke positively about Tuesday's practice after the two-hour session, Buha reported for The Athletic.
"I would say our preparation bore fruit," Redick said on Tuesday. "It was a very productive day. I thought our guys came with a really high level of focus and intent. And all of the things that we've talked about over the last six to eight weeks, and the things that we talked about yesterday, were reflected in how we played basketball today. There's a lot of good things to take away from today."
Redick also told reporters that he was focused on "using time efficiently" ahead of James' upcoming 22nd season in the NBA.
"I haven't been around LeBron a ton, but I know that's big for him as well," Redick said. "And I think as any NBA player will tell you, they really value their time. And I did not want to take time today to have some long meetings."
The Lakers announced their hiring of Redick to a four-year contract in June, two months after the team fired Darvin Ham following the team's five-game elimination from the first round of the 2024 postseason.
Los Angeles had James and Anthony Davis available for a majority of the 2023 season but still entered the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference before struggling against the Denver Nuggets.
Now that the Lakers have a new head coach, a new extension for James, and hopes that players like Christie can take a step forward while Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent can return for healthier seasons, it sounds like the mood surrounding the team is positive as the franchise looks to improve on last season's finish by taking advantage of James' age-40 season to putting together a deeper playoff run.