JJ Redick Sounds Off on Lakers for 1st Time as Head Coach
Remember when the Los Angeles Lakers went on an impressive 3-0 run to begin the 2024-25 NBA campaign? It seemed like head coach JJ Redick's presence was exactly what the Lakers needed to unlock their potential as they experienced their best start to a season in years.
Unfortunately, the Lakers' flawless start is now a distant memory after going 1-4 on a five-game road trip. Outside of a win over the lowly Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles was outplayed more often than not throughout its venture, culminating with Wednesday's embarrassing 131-114 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Frustration is beginning to settle in across the team, including when it comes to Redick. Following the Lakers' latest loss, the first-year bench boss didn't hold back when discussing his thoughts regarding the current slump.
Lakers News: JJ Redick Sounds Off on Recent Struggles
After Wednesday's defeat, Redick made it clear that Los Angeles needs a stronger team effort from the bottom to the top of the lineup. According to NBA insider Jovan Buha, the Lakers HC said that the team performs better when there are "seven to eight players competing" as opposed to "two or three players, or even five."
JJ Redick said that his biggest takeaway from this five-game road trip is that when the Lakers have seven to eight players competing, they’re a good team. When it’s only two or three players, or even five, the Lakers aren’t.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) November 7, 2024
It's hard to argue against what Redick said. Basketball is a team sport and the Lakers need a full effort to compete in the NBA. Even if LeBron James and Anthony Davis are still two of the sport's best players, they're four years older than they were during Los Angeles' last championship run and can no longer get the job done on their own.
Outside of James, Davis, and Austin Reaves, the majority of the Lakers' players disappeared during their five-game trip. One of the most frustrating players to watch has been D'Angelo Russell, who only averaged 13.2 points while shooting 37.3% from the floor and 28.1% from deep during that stretch.
Having had enough of Russell's struggles, Redick called out his starting point guard following the loss to the Grizzlies. The first-year coach called out the veteran playmaker's lacking "level of compete" and "attention to detail," making it clear that Redick isn't afraid to hold his players accountable.
A strong team effort across the lineup played a major role behind the Lakers' three straight wins to begin the 2024-25 season. To save the campaign, Redick must find a way to get through to his players to get them back to playing that way — especially if making the playoffs is the ultimate goal.
The good news for Redick & Co. is that, despite the recent issues, oddsmakers still have faith in Los Angeles. After all, FanDuel Sportsbook is still favoring the Lakers to qualify for the 2024-25 playoffs (-160) while also giving them the 10th-best odds to win the NBA Finals (+2800).
In other Lakers news:
feed