Collin Sexton is quickly making an impression on Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick, who has praised the guard’s relentless energy and competitive mindset.
Sexton delivered his best performance of the young season in the Lakers’ 103-87 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, finishing with 21 points and providing a much-needed spark on both ends of the floor.
The guard has become known for his aggressive defensive approach and willingness to pressure opponents across the entire court, something Redick believes can help establish the Lakers’ defensive identity.
“Sometimes it’s hard to get his attention because he gets locked in,” Redick said. “He’s in the zone. I love it. I love the competitive fire. We’ve seen some of the stuff defensively for our group where we’re like alright we can be good. We have a lot of things we gotta get better at, but we have the makeup to be a decent defensive team, if not a really good defensive team.
“Tonight was a great example of, we got a lot of work. You know we’re best offense in the league or whatever we were in the first four games. It’s like the spacing stuff, timing, all that stuff, all these guys got a lot of stuff to do. But Collin, there’s some stuff for spacing that he needs to work on, but I also like when he’s just in go mode. It puts pressure on the defense, he’s touching the paint. Those two threes that he had in the third were huge for us.”
While Sexton’s offensive game still has areas that need improvement, Redick clearly values the pressure he puts on opposing defenses, particularly when attacking the basket.
His intensity was also on display during a defensive possession against Clippers guard Cam Christie, with footage of Sexton’s unusually focused expression gaining attention online.
Redick has previously described Sexton’s approach as a certain level of “insanity,” highlighting the competitive edge he brings whenever he steps onto the court, according to Lakers Nation.
Sexton has also spoken about the difference between his personality away from basketball and the mentality he adopts during games, describing his on-court approach as being ready to go to war.
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