The Los Angeles Lakers closed out the first half of Monday night’s game against the Charlotte Hornets 65-63. Although an Austin Reaves buzzer-beater helped the Lakers secure some momentum heading into the second half, head coach JJ Redick was quite upset with the team’s performance.
According to Lakers insider Anthony Irwin, Redick pointed out where Los Angeles had come up short. He tweeted, “JJ isn’t pleased with the defense. It hasn’t been great. He says the Lakers need to keep Charlotte out of the paint better than they have so far.”
Redick’s response may have stemmed from the team’s lethargic start to the game. Giving up 40 points in the first quarter is never a good sign of a team’s defensive effort, especially one that has championship aspirations.
Additionally, to align with Redick’s point, the Purple and Gold gave up a considerable amount of points in the paint. Given that this could be attributed to the big man rotation’s defensive shortcomings, the head coach has ample reason to be upset.
Regardless, the Lakers seem to have come out much stronger in the second half. With a dynamic shift in their performance on both ends of the floor, Los Angeles has secured a sizable 96-78 lead against Charlotte. With one quarter of action remaining, the Lakers appear to be in a much better position to win.
JJ Redick’s Goal For The Game Against The Hornets
Coming off a 122-102 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, which marked the end of the Lakers’ five-game winning streak, JJ Redick had a clear goal set for this game against Charlotte. While speaking about his plans ahead of the game against the Hornets with Spectrum SportsNet’s Mike Trudell, he stated:
“I’m excited to coach tonight. I know our guys are excited to play. That is something we talked about after the game. I don’t know what team that was that I coached on Saturday in Atlanta. So tonight is not even about a win or loss, it’s about returning to playing Lakers’ basketball.”
Redick’s comment presents a clear plan not only for this game, but for the season as a whole. The Lakers are carving out an identity early in the campaign, something that will allow them to transform their squad into a title contender.
The game against the Hawks could be viewed as an outlier in some ways. With Ayton also admitting that the Purple and Gold underestimated Atlanta, it could be said that complacency got the better of them.
Regardless, with a 7-3 record, on the verge of improving to 8-3, the Lakers seem to have returned to familiar form. With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves firing on all cylinders, the Purple and Gold are certainly a team to look out for in the West.
