There are a lot of things that go into being an NBA head coach that many don’t think about. It’s not just about Xs and Os and rotations during games, but also about the day-to-day operations and figuring out the best way to get the most out of your players so that they grow, learn and are ready to go on game days, something JJ Redick will have to figure out as the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

The NBA has evolved in a lot of ways over the years. There is a lot of focus on players preserving their bodies which has led to less intense practices and really figuring out how to keep players fresh throughout the season. This is not something that is lost on Redick and he will have plans in place to do exactly that for the Lakers.

Redick recently spoke on this with Lakers reporter Mike Trudell, saying that he will collaborate with his performance staff, as well as the players themselves, in order to figure out the best system for his team to remain fresh throughout the season:

“So, that’s where I’d rely on the collaboration with our performance staff. I think you need to practice, but what does a practice look like? Is it light? Is it moderate? Is it heavy? How much live action are you doing? Is it just the get-ready guys that are doing live action? Is it a get-what-you-need day? How much film are you incorporating? Even stuff like what time are you practicing after a late game? What time are you getting into a city? Travel plans? All that stuff.

 

We’re going to have a system for it and it’s going to be thoughtful. If we have a long road trip and players want to stay over in certain cities, we’ll collaborate with them. I’ve certainly thought about all that stuff. But again, I’m going to rely heavily on the performance staff for that.”

 

There is just so much to account for when thinking about when and how hard to practice. Travel and game scheduling, plus there is going to be fatigue throughout the year and knowing that it would be more productive to maybe just have a film session instead of a full-on practice is something that comes with time.

Redick has some long-time coaches on his staff, not to mention LeBron James himself who will help him navigate these things with the Lakers. But those are the types of things that some don’t consider when thinking about the job ahead. But for Redick, it will be absolutely crucial to his success as coach of the Lakers.