The conversation around the Los Angeles Lakers and their free throw numbers hasn’t gone away, but head coach JJ Redick isn’t buying into it.
Following a recent win over the Brooklyn Nets, where the Lakers attempted 42 free throws compared to Brooklyn’s 15, Redick addressed the criticism head-on and pointed to a much simpler explanation: style of play.
“You know, people say ‘Lakers shoot a lot of free throws,’ that’s how teams guard us,” Redick said. “They foul on every possession. That’s another team that fouls every possession. And so you have to factor that in. You’re tired and cranky and you gotta play through stuff and I thought our guys they managed it. And then, from a field percentage standpoint we were over 50% for nearly the whole game we just didn’t get a lot of threes up and didn’t make a lot of threes. And then we made five of our last seven and that really opened things up for us.”
The numbers back up his point.
The Nets, one of the more foul-prone teams in the league, rank near the top in fouls per game, a factor that naturally skews free throw totals. Add in Brooklyn’s heavy reliance on perimeter shooting, and the disparity becomes less about officiating and more about approach.
With players like Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves consistently attacking the paint, Los Angeles generates contact at one of the highest rates in the league. They also sit near the bottom in three-point attempts per game, a combination that almost guarantees frequent trips to the line.
Rather than settling for jump shots, the Lakers have built an identity around pressure, getting downhill, forcing defenders into tough spots, and capitalising when whistles come.
It’s a formula that may not always look balanced on the stat sheet, but it’s effective.
As the postseason approaches, that identity is unlikely to change. If opponents continue to defend aggressively and rack up fouls, the Lakers will keep stepping to the line, not because of reputation, but because of how they play.
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