While Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves led the way in the most recent Lakers win, Jordan Goodwin’s play didn’t go unnoticed by head coach JJ Redick.
While injuries over the last week have ravaged the Lakers and led to a four-game losing streak, it did at least come with a silver lining.
Jordan Goodwin, who was already impressing in his limited minutes, stepped up in multiple games during the Lakers road trip. On Sunday, even when players returned from injury, Goodwin was rewarded by retaining his spot in the starting lineup alongside Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.
He again showed why his role has continually increased as he was flying around the court defensively, taking on Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and making them work for every attempt they got over him.
Jordan Goodwin’s defense on Booker pic.twitter.com/iGp7bcejSY
— Lakers Empire (@LakersEmpire) March 16, 2025
His two points, three rebounds and pair of blocks won’t have the box score watchers salivating, but the people who matter, such as Redick, noticed Goodwin’s impact on the team’s win.
“Never judge a player based solely on his box score,” Redick said. “Jordan Goodwin was incredible tonight and he had two points and four fouls. He set the tone for us. They’re an incredibly difficult team to guard. Our guys executed what we wanted to do. They took the shots we were willing to live with, and him and [Finney-Smith]…set the tone on Book and KD. Those guys make tough shots and we had to try something to make it hard for them and those two guys set the tone.”
With the Lakers being such a switch-heavy team, they need everyone to be able to defend at a high level. Goodwin isn’t a bucket-getter, but he can give on-ball players fits and he’s comfortable being a competent cog in the Lakers’ offensive wheel.
With the playoffs fast approaching, having a player like Goodwin that can depend on will be crucial to success.
Sure, guys like Luka and LeBron matter most, but you need eight or so winning players if you want to hoist the Larry O’Brien. During his 13 games in a Lakers uniform, Goodwin has given the kind of performances that indicate he’s one of those players.
If Los Angeles wants to have Goodwin available for postseason play, they’ll have to convert his contract into a standard deal. Fortunately, they have the ability to sign Goodwin, so it’s just a matter of if they want to, not can they.
This needs to be done before the final day of the regular season, but in the meantime, expect Goodwin to remain in the rotation for the Lakers. He’s proven to be a winning player, and with L.A. needing every win they can muster down the stretch, he will be a mainstay of the Lakers the rest of the way.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.