The Los Angeles Lakers had a disappointing Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, failing to get going outside of Luka Doncic offensively, while struggling to slow down Anthony Edwards and the barrage of three-pointers on the other end of the floor.
The embarrassing Game 1 loss at home sets up a must-win on Tuesday. To avoid falling to a potentially insurmountable 2-0 deficit, the Lakers need to be much better in Game 2.
The spotlight was on JJ Redick on Saturday, who was coaching the first playoff game of his career. After an impressive regular season in his first year as a head coach, Redick was frustrated with his team's effort level in Game 1.
During the in-game interviews, he sounded upset with his players and their lack of energy and concentration. However, two days after the loss, Redick admitted a mistake on his coaching staff's part in preparation for the game.
JJ Redick Reveals Lakers' Mistake in Preparation for the Playoffs
Per ESPN's Dave McMenamin, the first-time head coach admitted that he may have made a mistake while preparing for the playoffs. Redick said that he and his coaching staff have been wondering whether they should have scrimmaged more with the week off after the end of the regular season.
Redick added that the team had an excellent practice on Monday, but the lack of scrimmage seems like a missed opportunity, especially for a new team like the Lakers.
The Lakers went through more in-season changes than any team in the league. They had to change their play style on the go with the addition of Luka Doncic and the departure of Anthony Davis. During the regular season, NBA teams rarely practice together. The week between the regular season and the playoffs provided the perfect chance to help Doncic play himself into shape and build continuity with his new teammates.
Now that the Lakers' coaching staff knows what went wrong, hopefully, they will correct it before it comes back to bite them.
