Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick has his group playing some of the best basketball of any team in the home stretch of the 2025-26 season.
The Lakers picked up their ninth consecutive win after a thrilling game against the Orlando Magic, strengthening their hold on the third seed in the Western Conference.
The team’s played much more inspired basketball on both ends of the floor during their win streak and Redick acknowledged it’s felt good to watch them succeed.
“Every stage of the season is exhausting, for different reasons,” Redick said on Spectrum SportsNet. “This week has obviously been a lot in terms of the intensity, preparation, travel. We’ve got two more games on this trip and then get to go home for a little bit. We’ve got our first two-day break in between games, not counting All-Star break, since Dec. 27. An opportunity to practice, which is exciting. It’s all felt I think rewarding to see growth for the group, but it’s on to the next thing. There’s a lot we can get better at from tonight. There’s a lot we can get better at from Miami. I do think growth-wise, I thought our defense in the second half was on par with where we need it to be. But it all kind of blends together and you’ve got to enjoy the good moments.”
Redick struggled to get Los Angeles to play with energy and force during the middle of the regular season, but since returning from the All-Star break they’ve looked like a completely different team. The urgency to win games and avoid the Play-In Tournament has been apparent, as well as the chemistry in the locker room. It’s refreshing to see the purple and gold play so hard for each other as they suddenly have the look of a contender.
There’s still work to be done to secure their postseason standing, but there’s no doubt that Los Angeles is peaking at the right time. Redick has every right to be pleased with how the Lakers are currently playing, but he and the coaching staff need to ensure that they keep this pace up.
JJ Redick commends LeBron James’ sacrifice to help Lakers
One of the largest reasons for the Lakers’ surge is LeBron James who has transitioned fully into the team’s third option behind Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. For someone like James to accept a lesser role is hard to believe, so JJ Redick made sure to commend him for his sacrifice.
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