The message from Lakers coach JJ Redick on Christmas Day was clear. It was also clear whom the subjects of that message were. The question for this team, and maybe for Redick’s tenure as the head coach in L.A., is whether anyone—especially stars Luka Doncic and LeBron James–heard him.
Certainly, the gathered media on Thursday heard him, as did outside team observers, members of the front office and Lakers fans generally. Redick said the Lakers are struggling with execution because, “We don’t care enough right now. That’s the part that bothers you a lot.”
Redick continued: “We don’t care enough to do the things that are necessary, we don’t care enough to be a professional. We had it. You know, we had it. I always say this about culture, I always say this about a team being a good team and a functioning organism—it can change like that. We don’t have it right now.”
Lakers Expected an Outspoken Coach When JJ Redick Was Hired
Redick added that something needs to change and that he can’t go through another 53 games like that. He did not name names, but did he need to? It takes a lot of gumption for a coach to go into a public setting and speak about his team like that, especially a veteran bunch.
It was not very political of Redick, but that is one of the appealing aspects of him as a coach—he was a star player who made more than $100 million as a player and just does not need to tread lightly the way other coaches who are hoping for a 25-year career in the business need to.
As one Eastern Conference coach said, “Having $100 million behind you definitely helps. Everything he said was true, you can tell that just from watching them play. But players are not used to getting called out that hard out in the open, so we’ll see how they take it. JJ was definitely aimed at LeBron and Luka when he said that, we’ll see how they take it.”
GettyHead coach JJ Redick of the Los Angeles Lakers.
LeBron James, Luka Doncic Not Responding to JJ Redick
Again, “they” are Doncic and James. There is obviously a disconnect that has developed between the two that has manifested itself in a lackadaisical approach, especially defensively, one that has sent this season into a spiral here in late December. There’s no doubt that it is those two Redick is trying to reach with his blistering criticism—if it was Rui Hachimura he was criticizing, he would have simply benched him.
A public call-out is for the stars, for Doncic and James.
Redick has tried to address the issues he has seen developing with the pair this season. He pulled them into a meeting earlier this month, just him and the two stars, to address the lack of defensive effort, among other issues. That was around the time the Lakers were eliminated from the NBA Cup.
Counting that game, they’re 2-4 in their last six, and they have a defensive rating of 118.1, which is 26th in the NBA in that span.
Lakers Options Limited, Including a LeBron James Trade
And that’s the question for the Lakers. Redick was criticized after his Christmas presser for calling out his team publicly instead of keeping things in house, except that he tried keeping it in-house and that did not work. Screaming from the mountaintop was the next logical step.
Or was he screaming into the void? The Lakers have enough talent to be a much better team than what they’ve shown so far. The 19-10 record is fool’s gold, because the Lakers have actually been outscored this season (117.4-116.9), an indication that they should be about a .500 team. They’re lucky they’re not.
But that luck is running out, and so is Redick’s patience. The Lakers could—and likely will—at least investigate what a trade market for James would be, but he’d have to be on board with any potential deal and they’d need a team able to accommodate James’ $52.6 million while still sending them back useful assets. That’s a tough needle to thread.
The easier thing for everyone involved would be for James and Doncic to start showing that they care a bit more.
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