PHOENIX — The situation Lakers Coach JJ Redick found himself in Tuesday night at Mortgage Matchup Center was all too familiar. Once again, he was fielding questions from reporters after his team looked lethargic and slow-footed in a 132-108 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
It’s a troubling trend: all of the Lakers’ losses this season have been by double digits, contributing to their modest point differential of just plus-eight, even as they enter Thursday’s Christmas Day matchup against the Houston Rockets with 10 more wins than losses. For context, the Suns—who have three fewer wins and four more losses than the Lakers—are the next closest team in point differential at plus-29.
Redick acknowledged the Suns fit the mold of teams that have consistently troubled the Lakers.
> “The theme with our team again is like these young teams that move, we just can’t move,” he said. “It’s like we’re stuck in mud.”
The Lakers’ issues on Tuesday went beyond absences due to injuries, with 40% of their normal starting lineup out (including Luka Doncic and Rui Hachimura). Once again, they were out-worked, out-hustled, and consistently steps behind defensively—recurring themes in their defeats.
As Redick explained, much of the Lakers’ struggles came down to making difficult choices on the court.
> “There [are] shortcuts you can take, or you can do the hard thing, and you can make the second effort or you can sprint back,” Redick said. “Or you can’t. It’s just a choice. And there’s a million choices in a game, and you’re very likely not gonna make every choice correctly.
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> “But can you make the vast majority of ’em correctly? It gives you a chance to win.
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> “It’s not the easy choice. It’s human nature. We all do it. We do it on a daily basis. We make easy choices cause it’s comfortable. Comfortable doesn’t win.”
Veteran guard Marcus Smart echoed Redick’s sentiments.
> “We’re being real [expletive] right now, and it’s showing,” Smart said. “There’s really no defense, no scheme we can do when we’re giving up offensive rebounds in crucial moments like we are, or guys are getting wherever they want on the court. And there’s no help, there’s no resistance, there’s no urgency.
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> “And JJ is right. There’s really nothing he can do. It’s on us. We appreciate the coaches for everything they do, but it’s on us when it comes down, ultimately, we got to figure it out.”
The messaging was familiar, leading to a new line of questioning: Is there a difference between a team filled with players whose default is to play hard and physical, versus a team of players who need to be reminded?
> “Yeah, that’s accurate,” Redick responded.
Do the Lakers, as currently constructed, have enough guys who play that way?
> “No,” Redick responded.
With the roster as is, can they summon enough consistent effort to achieve the level of defense they need?
After a brief pause, Redick replied,
> “I think so.”
The Lakers, coming off consecutive losses for the first time this season, have an opportunity to bounce back against the Rockets.
> “The guys have been great about responding to challenges, whether that’s been injuries, a loss, poor performance,” Redick said. “A lot of games left. So we gotta continue that trend and we gotta stick together. You’re not gonna have a good taste in your mouth and you’re gonna be thinking about how you played, how the team’s playing. It’s like I told ’em, detach [on Wednesday]. Be with your family. Enjoy the holiday. We’ll all come with the right mentality on Christmas.”
**Rockets at Lakers**
**When:** Thursday, 5 p.m.
**Where:** Crypto.com Arena
https://www.sgvtribune.com/2025/12/24/jj-redick-delivers-blunt-criticism-of-lakers-defensive-effort/
