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JJ Redick lays out expectations on defense for Lakers stars that Austin Reaves is already ‘great’ at

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Aaditya Krishnamurthy | Last updated Oct 16, 2025 8:00 AM ET

JJ Redick has set the tone for the LA Lakers on the defensive end, and so far, Austin Reaves has set the bar.

The Los Angeles Lakers have set some big goals for themselves this season, as they look to capitalize on the pairing of Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

One of the big needs for the Lakers is defense, as they struggled to keep opposing teams from scoring for much of the second half last season.

This is why the Lakers went out and signed Marcus Smart, a former Defensive Player of the Year, to reinforce the squad.

As things stand, JJ Redick has created a defensive plan for the Lakers. And it appears he is using Austin Reaves as his primary example for the team.

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JJ Redick wants LA Lakers players to take charges like Austin Reaves

JJ Redick spoke to Tim Legler as part of ESPN’s ‘Coaches Corner’ segment. When discussing his defensive schemes, he applauded Austin Reaves for being able to take charges really well.

Redick thinks Reaves is brilliant at taking charges, and he wants the rest of the Lakers to follow suit, especially the smaller players on the roster.

“Austin was great for us all last season at taking charges. This is a great example of this.

“When you decide to go small like we did for this stretch against Dallas here, you know you’re going to have to switch one through five.

“So, you’re going to naturally end up with some mismatches, and you’re going to inevitably have a smaller player at the rim.

“Those rim collisions for smaller players a lot of times have to be putting your body on the line and taking a charge like Austin did here.”

LA Lakers need to ensure they don’t make defensive mistakes

The Los Angeles Lakers have arguably the most potent offensive pairing in the NBA in Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

Upon LeBron James’ mid-November Lakers return , he and Luka Doncic could light the league on fire if they play at the peak of their powers.

But the offensive end of the game was never really the Lakers’ problem. It’s the defensive end that they need to clean up.

Last season, the Lakers were 17th in the NBA in team defense after the Luka Doncic trade. If they can push that close to the top-10, or at least above the league average, that could give them a huge boost.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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