Lakers' JJ Redick bluntly calls out team for Nuggets disaster
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Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick isn’t afraid to hold his team accountable, as evidenced by his comments about the second half vs the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. After scoring 15 points in the third quarter and 24 points in the fourth, Redick wasn’t pleased. On Monday, he spoke with reporters via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and dropped a blunt assessment on the second-half performance.
"I can joystick it [as a coach] as much as I want, but if you're not competing and you're not playing and just not participating in the game, there's not a whole lot I can do,” Redick said. The Lakers coach also added that the second half was an "aberration" by his team.
His comments might seem a bit too much, but it makes sense after looking at the first-half results. Los Angeles was leading 63-57 at the end of the second quarter, after scoring 36 in the second quarter alone. However, they fell flat and couldn’t put the ball in the basket. For a team like Denver, they have Nikola Jokic but other key players have stepped up. Michael Porter Jr and Christian Braun are two names that come to mind.
JJ Redick highlights Lakers’ lack of effort vs Nuggets
Although Anthony Davis shot only 31.6% vs the Nuggets, Redick isn’t blaming the loss on a bad performance. Rather, he’s focusing it on a lack of effort. Also, former Lakers guard Russell Westbrook returned to the Crypto.com arena with a vengeance. He’s one of the most intense players in the league as it is, but that was heightened in his return.
It’s not only Redick who echoed this sentiment. Lakers forward Rui Hachimura dropped a truth bomb about their loss to the Nuggets. He explained that in the third quarter, they came out relaxed, and Denver took advantage. Despite being eighth in the Western Conference, they have the reigning MVP and much of the same roster around them.
Los Angeles is fourth in the Western Conference with a 10-6 record. Even though their record is appealing, losses like these drive Redick crazy. Regardless, Redick is continuing to establish a winning standard for his team. Even with LeBron James and Davis highlighting the star power, the first-year Lakers coach isn’t holding anything back.
After an interesting two years, former head coach Darvin Ham was fired and Redick stepped in. It’s still early in the season but building these habits now can do wonders for a team with established veterans, looking for one last potential championship push.
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