The Los Angeles Lakers’ Christmas Day collapse prompted one of the most brutally honest postgame assessments of the season. After a 119-96 loss to the Houston Rockets, head coach JJ Redick made it clear the issues went far beyond missed shots or bad breaks.
“The two words of the day were effort and execution,” Redick said. “And I feel like when we’ve done both of those things together, we’re a good basketball team. When we don’t, we’re a terrible basketball team. Tonight we were a terrible basketball team, and that started legitimately right away.”
From the opening tip, Houston dictated pace, physicality, and energy, while the Lakers looked flat and disconnected. The Rockets never trailed, jumping out early and steadily widening the gap as Los Angeles failed to respond on either end of the floor.
“We don’t care enough right now,” Redick said. “We don’t care enough to do the necessary things. We don’t care enough to be professional. We don’t have it right now. I always say this about a good team being a functional organism. It can change like that. We don’t have it right now.”
The performance backed up his words. The Lakers were outworked, out-executed, and overwhelmed, allowing Houston to control the game from start to finish. Defensive breakdowns, poor spacing, and a lack of urgency defined the night, turning a nationally televised showcase into a one-sided embarrassment and raising serious questions about the team’s direction as they head into their next matchup against the Kings.
Sadly, this is not the first time the Lakers have played like this. Focus and effort have been recurring issues this season, especially amid constant lineup changes and injuries. While the Lakers have shown flashes of high-level play, consistency has been elusive.
Their latest concern is Austin Reaves, who left the game after 14:48 of action with 12 points, one rebound, one assist, zero steals, and one block on 62.5 percent shooting (three of eight from three). His status remains uncertain, though the Lakers may have larger problems to address.
As losers of three straight games, the Lakers have fallen to fifth in the West at 19-10. Defensive vulnerabilities continue to plague them, but the most alarming trend is the lack of intensity, as team morale appears to be reaching a breaking point.
Redick’s comments weren’t about one bad night. They were a warning shot. With expectations sky-high and patience wearing thin, the Lakers are reaching a crossroads where effort and accountability can no longer be optional. Saturday’s practice may be uncomfortable, but discomfort is often the first step toward correction. If this group truly wants to contend, it has to respond now, before urgency turns into regret.
