Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick was frustrated after his team’s blowout loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. Redick was asked if the Lakers have enough players who are hardwired to defend and play with consistent effort and physicality.
“No,” Redick replied simply.
The Lakers coach then went on to explain why things went sideways for his team in the third quarter of the loss to the Suns. Redick said it ultimately comes down to his players choosing to not make the extra effort necessary on defense.
“We practice this stuff enough,” Redick said of the Lakers defense. “We review this stuff enough. We show film on this stuff enough that to me, it like comes down to … just making the choice. It’s making the choice.
“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 or you can’t. It’s just a choice. And there’s a million choices in a game, and you’re very likely not going to make every choice correctly. But can you make the vast majority of them correctly? It gives you a chance to win.”
On the season, the Lakers are ranked 25th in defensive rating. Los Angeles is 19-9, but against their advance metrics, the team has played over their heads this season. The Lakers have also dealt with a number of injuries, which has impacted the availability of Redick’s preferred rotation.