Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick was frustrated after his team’s loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. Redick was asked if the Lakers have enough players who are wired to defend and play with consistent effort and physicality.
“No,” Redick replied simply.
The Lakers coach then explained why things went sideways for his team in the third quarter of the loss to the Suns. Redick said the bottom line is that his players choose not to put in the extra effort needed on defense.
“We practice this stuff enough,” Redick said of the Lakers’ defense. “We review this stuff enough. We show film about this stuff so often that for me it 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 take the second try, or you can sprint back, or you can’t do it. It’s just a choice. And there are a million choices in a game, and it’s very likely that you’re not going to get every choice right. But can you get the vast majority of them right? It gives you a chance to win.”
This season, the Lakers rank 25th in defensive rankings. Los Angeles is 19-9, but against the odds, the team has played above their heads this season. The Lakers have also dealt with a number of injuries, which has impacted the availability of Redick’s preferred rotation.
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