When the Lakers hired JJ Redick this summer, fans were hoping to see things change in Hollywood. Yet, after 22 games of the season, things look similar, and even worse for the Lakers. Despite having both LeBron James and Anthony Davis healthy (AD has missed only one game), the Lakers have a worse record after 22 games than they had last year. The Lakers losing streak continued with an embarrassing, 41-point loss at the hands of the Miami Heat. They are now 2-6 in their last eight games.
The Lakers are Worse With JJ Redick
Last year, the Lakers started the season 13-9 under Darvin Ham. They were 12-9 after 21 games, but they won the next game. This time around, the Lakers started 12-9 and then lost another game. And with all the eyes on Redick, fans might count every next game on whether he is doing better or worse than his predecessor.
New Coach, Same Defense Issues
The biggest problem for the Lakers is their defense. Despite having a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Anthony Davis, the Lakers just cannot guard. Besides AD, they do not have the personnel to guard players.
Redick was not known for his defense as a player, but the hope was he might improve the team in that aspect. Yet, so far, things are not looking great. In fact, last year, the Lakers ranked 17th in defense with a rating of 114.8. This year, they are 27th in defensive rating, allowing 117.7 points per 100 possessions. Stats like opponents’ points in the paint, second-chance points, and points off turnovers remain virtually the same. If we take a step further, Ham actually had the team playing better defense in his first year, when the Lakers ranked 12th with a rating of 113.2.
Offensive Schemes Work in Podcasts, Not in Games
When Redick was filming podcasts with James, many fans praised his basketball IQ and mind when talking about offensive schemes and plays. But it turns out, they might work in theory, but when you try to apply them in real games, things are not looking great.
Many people criticized Ham for his offensive strategy, yet, the Lakers averaged 115 points per 100 possessions last year. This year, that number is down to 113 points per 100 possessions. As a team, the Lakers shot 49.9% from the floor last year. This year, that number is down to 47.3%. They are taking almost two threes more per game, but nothing spectacular(33.2 to 31.4).
The Players’ Fault for Lakers Losing Streak
Following the 41-point loss to the Miami Heat LeBron James talked about how players have to take accountability. While the Lakers are not on a huge losing streak, coach JJ Redick took accountability for the team’s effort. Yet, LeBron talked about how players have to do more:
“There’s no schemes or X and Os that is going to get you through that. If you don’t want to come to compete, then that’s another issue. We have to figure it out because it is definitely embarrassing. It’s not on the coaches. It’s definitely on us, for sure. It starts with individuals. First, all of us have to take accountability. It is great to see it on film and you address it right there, but there has to be a necessary level of accountability.”
This summer, the Lakers didn’t make any move to improve their roster other than drafting Bronny James and Dalton Knecht. While many fans expected the team to make a move for another star player, the Lakers believed their improvement could come from within and their new coach.
