In his second year as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, JJ Redick has led the team to an impressive 14-4 record through roughly the first quarter of the 2025-26 season.
Redick’s managed to lead the Lakers to a winning record despite having players in and out of the lineup due to injury. LeBron James missed the first 14 games of the season due to a sciatica issue, while important role players like Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart and Gabe Vincent have missed multiple games as well.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have managed to hold down the fort through the early going and they showed off their collective star power in Los Angeles’ recent win against the Dallas Mavericks. The matchup was the final game in West Group B, and the Lakers ended up with a 129-119 victory to solidify their dominance atop the group standings.
Los Angeles finished group play with an undefeated 4-0 record, and while Redick was happy with the result he still emphasized they have upcoming games they need to worry about.
“Yeah, really pleased that we were able to go undefeated in our pool, our group,” Redick said after the win over the Mavericks. “More importantly we’ve got a back-to-back, coming up and a really hard road [trip]. Phoenix is playing great. New Orleans has a ton of talent. We’ve got to take care of business in the next two games, and then we’ve got to go be great on the road like we’ve been for most of the year outside of two games. The cup is in some ways, a distant memory for the next 12 days or whatever it is.”
Redick has been good about keeping the locker room present and focused on each game, so it’s good to hear that this accomplishment isn’t taking away from anything. Los Angeles will remain home for a back-to-back that starts on Sunday against the New Orleans Pelicans and ends against the Phoenix Suns on Monday. Following their home games, they head back on the road for three games where they’ll see the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Those are five challenging games, with four of them coming against playoff-caliber teams that could give Los Angeles trouble. The Lakers have been winning games, but they still haven’t put together a full 48 minutes of strong play on both ends of the floor.
Redick’s done well to get Los Angeles through the early part of their schedule and the group play games helped simulate more competitive environments with stakes involved. If Redick can get the Lakers to be more consistent in their coming weeks, then they’ll be in good shape for NBA Cup action when it resumes on Dec. 10.
JJ Redick and Lakers motivated to win Emirates NBA Cup
The Lakers are one of two teams to have won an Emirates NBA Cup championship, and JJ Redick acknowledged he and the team are motivated to win another one.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
