The Los Angeles Lakers’ inconsistent play has become apparent throughout their recent road games this NBA season. Despite a strong start, the team’s performance has dipped, leading to a 131-114 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday—their fourth defeat in eight games. Head coach JJ Redick did not hold back in his post-game remarks, openly criticizing certain players.
“It’d be nice if a guy could play 18 minutes and not shoot zero times,” Redick commented, pointing to Gabe Vincent’s performance in Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons, where he failed to attempt a single shot, contributing nothing during his time on the court.
While Redick later attempted to temper his criticism by adding, “That’s not on him,” it was clear he was frustrated with Vincent, who managed only 6 points on poor shooting against the Grizzlies.
JJ’s critique didn’t end there. He also addressed his decision to limit D’Angelo Russell’s minutes, leaving him on the bench for most of the second half. “It wasn’t like a punishment; I just felt like, for us to have a chance to win, that was the route we wanted to take,” Redick explained.
Gabe Vincent with the Los Angeles Lakers.
He then provided insight into his reasoning, citing “level of compete, attention to detail, some of the things we’ve talked with him about for a couple of weeks. At times, he’s been really good with that stuff, and other times it’s just reverting back to certain habits.”
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Looking for more from the Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers were without Anthony Davis on Wednesday, as he was sidelined with a sore foot sustained in the final minutes of Monday’s loss to the Pistons. In Davis’s absence, the team needed other players to step up and fill the void left by one of their key stars.
LeBron James delivered an outstanding performance, posting 39 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. However, his efforts alone weren’t enough for the Lakers to keep pace with their opponents. While Redick praised LeBron’s performance, he was visibly disappointed by the overall support from other players on the team.
Optimism for upcoming games
The Lakers now look forward to returning to Crypto.com Arena this Friday, where they are undefeated this season with a 3-0 record. The team hopes to extend this home-court success against the Philadelphia 76ers. Additionally, there is optimism that Anthony Davis will rejoin the lineup. Redick indicated that sitting Davis out was primarily precautionary, suggesting he should be available for Friday’s game.
