Los Angeles Lakers coach Redick committed to an “uncomfortable” practice on Saturday after his team suffered an embarrassing loss on Christmas Day. After a team meeting and a long training session on Saturday, the Lakers seemed to be back on the same front after three consecutive losses.
Redick, in particular, appeared calmer and collected, and he took some heat for calling out players after the team’s loss to the Houston Rockets, according to ESPN.
“Myself, I always look in the mirror first,” said Redick, who is in his second season as Lakers coach. “I think it’s easy as a player and coach to say, ‘This is this guy’s fault,’ or ‘We’re not doing this because of X, Y and Z.'”
“The truth is uncomfortable,” Redick said, “so you have to put it all out there and that’s it.”
While Reddick’s account of the truth is disturbing and suggests it was a contentious meeting, that doesn’t appear to be the case. The coach later categorized it as a day of “recalibration and reconnection.” He noted that the team’s staff had a “great meeting” and said conversations with players were “very positive.”
advertise
Some Lakers players seemed to agree. Both Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton expressed optimism about the team’s rebound after the meeting.
That was a far cry from Thursday, when Redick praised his team’s effort and drive after a 119-96 loss to the Rockets.
“We don’t care enough right now. That’s the part that bothers me. We don’t care enough to do what’s necessary. We don’t care enough to be professional.”
It’s a matter of making a choice, and often we have people who don’t want to make that choice. There’s a lot of consistency in who these people are. I told the players that Saturday’s practice was going to be uncomfortable. Meetings can be uncomfortable. I’m not going to do 53 more games like this. “
In particular, Redick is not satisfied with the team’s defensive performance in recent games. On Tuesday, he disrupted his team’s defense following a loss to the Phoenix Suns.
The struggles continued over Christmas, with the Lakers outrebounded 48-25. This seems to be one of the main reasons for Redick’s rant.
advertise
Ayton, who leads the team in rebounding, said Saturday that he will hold his players accountable in the coming games. Ayton only had two rebounds against the Rockets on Thursday. He blamed it on a lack of concentration.
After a hot start, the Lakers’ performance has declined in recent weeks. The team currently has a record of 19 wins and 10 losses, ranking fifth in the Western Conference. Although the team’s task will become more difficult after Austin Reeves’ injury, there is still enough time to turn the situation around.
The Lakers hope to get back on track Sunday against the Sacramento Kings. The Kings are 8-23, one of the worst teams in the league. A dominant win for the Lakers on Sunday will go a long way toward proving that the team has moved on after Redick’s angry rant on Thursday.
