PHOENIX — The situation Lakers Coach JJ Redick found himself in Tuesday night at Mortgage Matchup Center was one that’s become too familiar.
There he was, fielding questions from reporters after his team once again looked lethargic and slow-footed in a loss, this time in a 132-108 defeat to the Phoenix Suns.
It’s part of the reason why all of their losses have been by at least double digits, and why they have a measly point differential of plus-eight despite entering Thursday’s Christmas Day matchup against the Houston Rockets with 10 more wins than losses. For context, the Suns, who have three fewer wins and four more losses than the Lakers, are the closest to the Lakers in point differential at plus-29.
Redick acknowledged the Suns fit the description of the type of team that has given the Lakers fits.
“The theme with our team again is like these young teams that move, we just can’t move,” he said. “It’s like we’re stuck in mud.”
The Lakers’ issues on Tuesday night went beyond being without 40% of their normal starting lineup (Luka Doncic and Rui Hachimura) because of injuries.
They were once again out-worked.
Out-hustled.
And consistently multiple steps behind defensively – all common themes in their defeats.
As Redick put it, many of the Lakers’ struggles on Tuesday came down to making difficult choices.
“There [are] shortcuts you can take, or you can do the hard thing, and you can make the second effort or you can sprint back,” Redick said. “Or you can’t. It’s just a choice. And there’s a million choices in a game, and you’re very likely not gonna make every choice correctly.
“But can you make the vast majority of ’em correctly? It gives you a chance to win.”
He added: “It’s not the easy choice. It’s human nature. We all do it. We do it on a daily basis. We make easy choices cause it’s comfortable. Comfortable doesn’t win.”
Veteran guard Marcus Smart echoed Redick’s sentiments.
“We’re being real [expletive] right now, and it’s showing,” Smart said. “There’s really no defense, no scheme we can do when we’re giving up offensive rebounds in crucial moments like we are, or guys are getting wherever they want on the court. And there’s no help, there’s no resistance, there’s no urgency.
“And JJ is right. There’s really nothing he can do. It’s on us. We appreciate the coaches for everything they do, but it’s on us when it comes down, ultimately, we got to figure it out.”
The messaging was familiar, leading to different questions.
Is there a difference between a team filled with players whose defaults are to play hard and physical versus a team of players that need to be reminded?
“Yeah, that’s accurate,” Redick responded.
Do the Lakers, as currently constructed, have enough guys who play that way?
“No,” Redick responded.
With the guys currently on the roster, can they get enough consistent effort to get to where they need to be defensively?
“I think so,” Redick responded after a three-second pause.
The Lakers, who are coming off consecutive losses for the first time this season, will get an opportunity to bounce back against the Rockets.
“The guys have been great about responding to challenges, whether that’s been injuries, a loss, poor performance,” Redick said. “A lot of games left. So we gotta continue that trend and we gotta stick together. You’re not gonna have a good taste in your mouth and you’re gonna be thinking about how you played, how the team’s playing. It’s like I told ’em, detach [on Wednesday]. Be with your family. Enjoy the holiday. We’ll all come with the right mentality on Christmas.”
ROCKETS AT LAKERS
When: Thursday, 5 p.m.
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV/Radio: ABC (Ch. 7), ESPN, 710 AM