It’s been a long season for Lakers coach JJ Redick, and it’s getting harder for him not to let the frustration show. During the team’s recent loss to the Sacramento Kings, he was seen visibly distraught on the sidelines, waving his hands in confusion as the offensive play broke down.
JJ’s having just the best time in these games pic.twitter.com/8Ff7op5MYb
— Cranjis McBasketball (@Tim_NBA) January 13, 2026
From the video, it looks like the Lakers were trying to run a play before Vincent seemingly ignored it and continued on with his own thing. Redick was practically in disbelief, especially with the Lakers already down 11 points in the second quarter. Unfortunately, that moment was indicative of how the rest of the night went for Los Angeles. Against a Kings team with just nine wins, they lost 124-112, marking yet another disappointing showing. After the game, Redick called out his team’s shooting, explaining that they’ve been one of the worst in the league in that category.
Sadly, it’s not the first time that Redick has had to challenge his team’s effort and focus this season. Following a Christmas Day blowout loss to the Rockets, Redick came down hard on his players, publicly questioning how much they cared. Today, Lakers players still face those same questions as avoidable mistakes are made time and time again on the court.
Even LeBron James has not been immune to Redick’s fury. During a particularly low point in the Lakers’ season, James got an earful from his former podcast partner after he was caught chatting it up on the sidelines in a critical moment that later went viral on social media. It suggests that even LeBron has checked out to some degree, leaving many fans wondering who is left to go all-in this season.
As flawed as he can be, Luka Doncic has been the only steady hand this season for the Lakers. With averages of 33.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.5 blocks on 46.5% shooting and 32.0% shooting from three, he’s been carrying the team amid constant absences and inconsistent lineups.
With Rui Hachimura back and Austin Reaves making progress on a return, life will get much easier for Luka soon as key reinforcements return. Still, it won’t matter much who is available if the players are not bought in and focused. At 23-14, and losers of three straight games, the Lakers are in free-fall, and it will take a coordinated effort to get back on track. With the Kings’ game over, their attention shifts to tonight’s showdown against the Hawks before hosting the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday. They close the week with a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center.
