Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick tore into his team on Friday as he blasted his players for not caring enough after they dropped a 119–96 Christmas Day game against the Houston Rockets.
The Rockets jumped the gun on the Redic’s wards and built as much as a 14-point lead early, before coasting to the blowout as the Purple and Gold failed to build any sort of momentum, even at home. The loss was the Lakers’ third straight setback and sixth in their last ten games. Redick was predictably blunt in his postgame assessment.
“We don’t care enough right now,” Redick said. “And that’s the part that bothers you a lot. We don’t care enough to do the things that are necessary. We don’t care enough to be a professional.”
The second-year coach also hinted at “uncomfortable” conversations in the Lakers’ next practice, noting how he isn’t “doing another 53 games like this.”
Redick Is Right About His Lakers
While he might very well be trying to light a fire under his team, Redick is also right. It really does look like the Lakers don’t care enough to be winning games, especially during this tough stretch. The Lakers have lost their past three games—to the LA Clippers, Phoenix Suns, and Rockets—by 15, 24, and 23 points, respectively, with their two other defeats also coming by double digits.
Each of the Lakers’ losses in this stretch has been marked by careless turnovers, questionable shot selection, and porous defense—all aspects of the game that can be rectified if players care enough about following the game plan and giving full-tilt effort. What Redick is getting, instead, are lazy passes, lots of standing around, and matador defense that has surrendered open treys, easy layups, and momentum-shifting dunks.
To be fair, the Lakers haven’t exactly been fully healthy, with each of their three big stars—Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James—all missing games due to various injuries. But it’s not like the Lakers haven’t played with at least one of their stars, either. And with generational talents like LeBron and Luka, the Purple and Gold shouldn’t be losing this badly if they play better and with greater effort.
But, if it’s any consolation, the NBA regular season is a marathon, not a sprint, which means the Lakers have more than enough time to rectify their ways. Those uncomfortable conversations Redick alluded to could be the start.
