JJ Redick is finding himself in an uncomfortable position as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. After Thursday’s embarrassing loss to the Charlotte Hornets, L.A. has now lost eight of its last 13 games.
Fortunately, they remain the fifth seed in a competitive Western Conference. However, separation is happening with the top four teams and it appears the Lakers may have difficulty climbing up the standings.
Defense remains a glaring issue and even more eye-opening against younger, athletic teams. Charlotte took advantage of Los Angeles’ poor perimeter defense and simply got every look they wanted from the second quarter on.
Winning in today’s NBA is already difficult, but being the Lakers garner more attention given their winning history and Redick knows opposing teams will give them their best shot with the stage that comes with playing in or against L.A.
“I think in general; these guys grew up watching LeBron James play,” Redick said. “The Lakers and like the Celtics are really the most storied franchises in all of sports. We’ve mentioned it as a team, I think all the guys know we’re gonna get. We don’t get a lot of off nights from other teams in terms of energy and being up and all that stuff. So yeah, I don’t think that was just tonight.”
A troubling sign these past few weeks has been the inability to withstand opponents’ scoring runs. The Hornets outscored the Lakers 34-16 in the second quarter and Los Angeles’ offense bogged down with no connectivity on either side of the floor.
How Redick maneuvers these issues remains up in the air and there may not be any answers on the roster as currently constructed. Trading for preferably two 3-and-D players would help tremendously, but who knows if help will ever arrive.
If Los Angeles hopes to recapture home-court advantage for a possible playoff series, the team will need to get back on track quickly. Redick needs to do some soul-searching with the Lakers to get back to playing the way they were early in the season.
JJ Redick discusses Lakers’ defensive struggles in loss to Hornets
The Lakers’ lack of defense continues to be a letdown and it may reach a point where changes to the roster need to be made. JJ Redick shared his extensive thoughts on what went wrong defensively against the Hornets on Thursday, which he thought was a mix of scheme mistakes and Charlotte hitting shots at a high clip.
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!
