To say JJ Redick’s first game as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers was flawless would be pretty spot on. Despite all of the hardships the Lakers have faced through the years and the fact that they returned basically the same roster from a season ago, Redick had his team ready to go on opening night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. From being locked in defensively to playing with pace and energy, Redick has already seemed to change the demeanor of this organization.
The mindset entering Tuesday’s game in Los Angeles was simple: wear the Timberwolves down on the interior and constant attack the paint on both sides of the floor. Redick’s team did just that, as the Lakers held Minnesota to 103 total points and constantly converted their offensive rebounds into second-chance scoring opportunities. It may not seem like a huge difference, but the ten extra shot attempts the Lakers had over the Timberwolves played a factor in the outcome of this one.
There is really nothing for Redick to be upset about after the Lakers’ first win of the season, yet the basketball savant did point out something he claims he is set to discuss with the league office.
“I’m not sure why we’re playing real games with brand new basketballs… Give the guys an opportunity to pick the basketball.”
JJ Redick wasn’t pleased with the game ball on opening night
(via @SpectrumSN)pic.twitter.com/4jDwDY0W6G
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 23, 2024
“I am going to send in a request to the league tomorrow that we can play with worn-in basketballs. I am not sure why we are playing in real games — I am being dead serious — I am not sure why we are playing in real games with brand-new basketballs,” Redick told reporters after the game on Tuesday night. “Anybody who has ever touched an NBA ball brand new, it’s a different feel and different touch than a worn-in basketball. I didn’t realize it until a timeout. There was a long rebound, and I grabbed it and was like, ‘What? Why are we playing with this ball?’
“Give the guys an opportunity to pick a good basketball.”
What Redick is alluding to with his postgame comments, which he pointed out multiple times that he was being serious with, is the fact that new NBA basketballs are usually slick and slippery before being used. Over time, as the ball is used and goes through the basket, that slickness dissipates and allows players to handle it better.
Although Redick claimed he was going to speak with the league about this, the former NBA sharpshooter probably won’t enact any change in the game balls simply because of tampering. If teams were allowed to choose their own game balls, there would be no way to know if a certain team or play had an advantage for knowing the sweet spot on said ball. Not to mention, not playing every game with a new ball results in unfair competition since every team wouldn’t be playing with the same exact basketball.
While many NBA fans and those who are basketball park legends would tend to agree with Redick’s thinking, this will simply be a laughing matter for the league.
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