After a 3-0 start to the season under new head coach JJ Redick, the Los Angeles Lakers have come crashing down to earth on their road trip, losing three of four.
Their last loss was particularly disappointing as they went down by 20 to the Detroit Pistons in the first half and were never able to climb out of that hole, falling 115-103.
When asked about his takeaway from the loss, Redick pointed to the Lakers’ poor defense in the first quarter, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“Probably have a few takeaways but I would say if there was one thing it’s just that you need to start the game with a little more just pride defensively. We talked this morning about how [the Pistons] are a much different team obviously than last year and they play really hard and they try to get up and down, move you in the halfcourt. I thought our effort and just fight in the second half was really good. That third quarter defensively was I think in some ways just a blueprint for us. It wasn’t perfect but in terms of effort was really good.”
While Redick didn’t like how the Lakers started the game, he was pleased with how they played in the second half to get themselves back in it:
“Our effort to get back, even after a miss, was better. Our physicality was better. Our shifts were better at times in the second half, just loading up on the basketball. They started the game and played that way for four quarters, just really physical on both ends. We matched that in the second half but it took us a bit in the first half to match that level of physicality.”
The Lakers were able to cut their deficit to five, but that was as close as they would get. Redick did not sugarcoat the demeanor in the locker room after losing a game that everyone feels they should have been able to win:
“We’re all disappointed. We’re all disappointed.”
The Lakers will close out their road trip on Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies, which is another team that will be ready to out-hustle and outwork them if they do not bring energy from the jump.
LeBron James: Lakers didn’t match Pistons’ physicality
When discussing the loss to the Pistons, LeBron James essentially echoed head coach JJ Redick in saying the Lakers did not match their physicality.
“Of course. We definitely have to match physicality depending on whatever game is being played, we have to match that. I don’t think we did that, as a unit we didn’t do a good job in the first half. In the second half we did, but we were already down 14 at half.”
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