The Lakers’ season has been a rollercoaster, but JJ Redick isn’t letting it fly off the tracks. After a brutal collapse against the Bulls raised questions about team chemistry, the head coach wasted no time in calling for a major meeting with his stars. And just two days later, the Lakers responded in a big way.
Before the Lakers’ bounce-back win over the Grizzlies, Redick met with LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves. This wasn’t just a routine check-in—it was a challenge. He demanded more force, more creativity, and, most importantly, a unified mindset.
“We challenged all three of them… to play with a little more force and a little more thrust and a little more creativity,” Redick revealed. “We were able to get some great stuff in the fourth quarter off that and create the sort of advantages that we envision when we put those three guys together.”
Reaves, who dropped a game-high 31 points, took that challenge personally. “We challenged him a little bit on playing with a little more force and pace off the ball. And I thought that was great early,” Redick noted. The result? The Lakers’ stars executed his vision perfectly, shutting down Memphis in the final quarter.
But let’s not forget why this meeting was necessary. Two nights earlier, the Lakers suffered one of their worst losses of the season. Up five with 12 seconds left against the Bulls, they completely collapsed. Miscommunication, costly turnovers, and an unreal half-court buzzer-beater from Josh Giddey left them in shock.
Reaves admitted there was a breakdown: “I wanted to get the ball, go to the free throw line… I think the miscommunication might have been I was trying to hold him off instead of popping to the ball.” Even LeBron took responsibility, saying, “Horrible turnover by myself, miscommunication the play before that… Tip your hats.”
That loss raised real concerns about the team’s ability to close out games—and, more importantly, about trust. Redick knew they had to regroup fast before the doubt spread. “I made sure the group knew that I believed still, and that the coaching staff believed,” he emphasized.
One game doesn’t erase the past, but it sends a message—this Lakers squad isn’t folding.
(Stay tuned as more is yet to come…)
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