JJ Redick spoke after the Los Angeles Lakers' 114-106 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. When asked about Max Christie's career-best performance, Redick shared his initial frustration with Christie, and how his thoughts on his performance changed as the young Lakers star grew into the game.
"I'll start with the beginning of the game. I thought our defensive spirit and physicality... It was one of those things where you're just trading baskets. We missed some shots and we gave up a 31-point quarter. I didn't think his first run was good, in terms of his defensive disposition. He also took two mid-range shots and I wanted to break his neck."
"And when he got back in the game, I thought his career night started with changing the disposition on defense. The other thing is, we talked about him developing as an initiator for the offense because we're down a ball-handler right now. We probably had 10-12 possessions where he had to bring it up, including some possessions late-game."
"There were some close calls, but he didn't have any turnovers on those plays, that was big. For him, for his development, I think getting him in these situations is huge. I think you guys know how much I believe in Max. I'm just happy, he's been building now for several weeks and he had a three-game stretch around Christmas. Now to come back tonight and have his career high is just awesome."
Christie scored a career-high 28 points (9-16 FG), three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block. While the start may have frustrated Redick, he was certainly happy with the way Max ended the game. Perhaps the sophomore is finally starting to put it together after a rough first year in the NBA.
JJ Redick also spoke on a host of other topics, which you can check out below.
On LeBron James' 38-point performance:
"He did it in a number of ways. I like it when he's a willing three-point shooter. We showed one clip from Cleveland the other night where we created an advantage, and he got a kick-out pass, dribbled, and ended up swinging to the corner. It ended up being a dead possession for us."
"We want him aggressive, and shot-ready from three just as much as we want him aggressive to get downhill and put pressure on the rim. He's just fantastic."
"There were a couple of possessions where even before they cut it to four... Because of their switching, us playing small, and not having AD out there, there were a couple of possessions that seemed like they were dead possessions. He just bailed us out. Just another 38-point game for LeBron."
On the defensive consistency of Christian Koloko and Jaxson Hayes:
"Both those guys were fantastic. Partially because I lived it as a player early in my career, there's a testament, an example there for just being a professional and staying ready. Jaxson was available the other night for the first time in a month. He got a DNP, and then a game later, he is starting and making a huge impact."
"Christian wasn't in uniform the other night, then [tonight] he comes in and ends up playing close to 20 minutes and that was probably his best game of the season. Not just because he scored but also the offensive rebounds were huge. He is very consistent in executing our pick-and-roll coverages. I'm excited for both of those guys and that they had big-time games for us.
The Lakers had a strong performance on the night, despite not having Anthony Davis available. LeBron James delivered 38 points (15-25 FG), three rebounds, and eight assists, and went 7-10 from beyond the arc. But his strong showing would have been wasted had the rest of the Lakers not stepped up on the night.
Jaxson Hayes' numbers didn't jump off the box score, as he had just four points (2-4 FG), six rebounds, one steal, and one block. But given that he only played 18 minutes, that is a strong return.
As for Christian Koloko, he came off the bench to play 19 minutes and put up eight points (4-8 FG), eight rebounds, three assists, and one steal, including six offensive rebounds that were crucial.
Tonight marked a rare night for the Lakers this season, where their role players all stepped up and delivered at a high level. JJ Redick will be hoping that this becomes a regular thing for their team, as their roster has underdelivered significantly, especially during games when James, Davis, and Austin Reaves have performed superbly.
The Lakers won't have any time to enjoy this win, as they play the Atlanta Hawks tonight at home at 10:30 PM EST. The hope is that Anthony Davis can return to the lineup after getting a game's rest. But the Lakers (19-14) will want to win so that they can tie the Mavericks with a 20-14 record and the fifth seed in the Western Conference.
