Redick shares “uncomfortable” Lakers truth: “I’m not doing another 53 games like this”

Things are going from bad to worse for the Lakers: three straight losses, four defeats in their past six games, and six in their last 10. The Western Conference is tightening the screws and starting to suffocate, and Los Angeles are beginning to lose traction despite still sitting in the upper reaches of the standings. But the real problem is not the recent results – it is the increasingly troubling feeling around the team… and the words coming from the protagonists themselves after games, especially following the heavy defeat against the Rockets on Christmas Day, at Crypto.com Arena, in front of their own fans.

The identity crisis and the lack of a clearly defined style of play are becoming impossible to ignore. Everything the Lakers have achieved in recent weeks – stacking up wins here and there – has come more from flashes of individual talent than from any genuine sense of cohesion or collective purpose, which right now simply does not exist. And as we all know, that way leads nowhere. Not to championships. Not to anything at all.

“I’m not doing another 53 games like this,” said JJ Redick, referring less to the result itself – a brutal 119–96 loss – than to the team’s overall performance against Houston. “The guys say they want to win. For me, the worrying factor is: ‘Do I care enough to do what I’m supposed to do and be consistent?’ That’s what really defines the habits of champions. And that’s what we don’t have right now,” he added.

“I don’t know what has to change, but something definitely has to change,” said Luka Dončić. Jake LaRavia spoke of a “disconnect” within the team, though he could not pinpoint the cause. Concerned looks, grim faces, mixed messages… this is how a crisis takes shape. And the Lakers are in one – fully and unmistakably.

A matter of perspective for LA

On paper, the Lakers have a deep, balanced roster, seemingly built to win a championship – but with flaws. LeBron James is almost 41 years old (he is just days away from his birthday). Austin Reaves still struggles to show up consistently in the moments that truly matter. And Dončić is a generational star and an MVP candidate who, right now, appears more focused on individual accolades – and on reaching the 65-game threshold required for postseason awards – than on syncing fully with the team. His style remains highly distinctive and, in some ways, similar to that of other ball-dominant stars: a lot of dribbling, creating everything himself, very little off-ball movement, and one trait that has followed him throughout his career – limited defensive effort.

Listen to Redick’s words:

That side of the ball is a problem the Lakers need to fix as soon as possible. They are the fifth-worst defensive team in the Western Conference and the 10th-worst in the NBA overall. They rank eighth from bottom in steals, fourth from bottom in blocks, and sit below league average in net rating, barely staying positive at +0.3. This is the worst defensive performance in franchise history, a troubling number even in an era defined by higher scoring, more possessions, and an unprecedented reliance on the three-point shot. None of that excuses a team that looks disconnected on both ends of the floor – capable of leaning on talent to bail itself out offensively, but guilty of individual and collective indolence on defense.

And that is not all. One issue stands out above the rest: injuries. Jake LaRavia is the only player who has appeared in all 29 games the Lakers have played this season. LeBron James, Dončić, and Reaves have all missed time – understandable in the first case because of age, and worrying in the second for the same reason. Deandre Ayton has generally been available, but without ever being the solution. Marcus Smart arrived with a significant injury history, and Jarred Vanderbilt does not look like he will ever again be the player who built himself a reputation with the Timberwolves. This could be bad luck – but it may also reflect a serious lack of physical preparation under Redick and his coaching staff. During preseason, reports already suggested the workload had been light, and the players now look fatigued with so much still ahead of them. Whether this problem has a solution remains to be seen.

So, what now for the Lakers?

At 19–10 and fourth in the Western Conference, the Lakers can choose to see the glass as half full. They are well above .500, remain near the top of the standings, and can point to winning streaks of five games (from October 29 to November 5) and seven games (from November 14 to 30, just before their current slide). But they also need to reassess. Redick has alluded – without naming names – to the apathy of certain players, yet the rotations remain unchanged. And even though the Thunder are now in a very different place than they were a couple of weeks ago, the sense is that a championship run – or even a hypothetical trip to the conference finals – feels completely out of reach for Los Angeles right now.

Next up are four straight home games (against the Kings, Pistons, and the Grizzlies twice), while the same issues persist: a lack of physicality, speed, and strength; a shortage of defensive specialists; and, to top it all off, a bench that provides the least scoring in the NBA, plus unreliable three-point shooting to capitalize on the space created by Dončić and company. That pushes the Lakers toward the winter trade market – where there is not much to be found. A move for Giannis Antetokounmpo is wildly unrealistic given salary constraints and trade assets, and belongs more to the future than the present.

Problems are piling up, while solutions appear to rest almost entirely with the players themselves. That is where the Lakers stand – a team that, in its current state, is not competing for anything. And they know it. All too well.

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