The month of December has been brutal for the Los Angeles Lakers, and they ended it fittingly, getting blown out 128-106 by the Detroit Pistons at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday. This was the Lakers’ fourth defeat in the last five games, and their head coach, JJ Redick, said in his postgame press conference that he felt his players weren’t too happy with the officiating on the night.
“I think there is probably a level of frustration,” Redick said. “When you’re turning the ball over, and you’re feeling like you’re getting fouled, there’s frustration there for sure. But I mean, again, I said it in here, we said it this morning, they’re going to foul every possession. You just got to play through it.”
Redick also mentioned in the presser that physicality is the Pistons’ DNA. That led to his being asked if the Lakers’ DNA has been established.
“Still trying to figure that out,” Redick stated. “And I know that’s, maybe a cop out. And probably is. But I do know that we have had a lot of stops and starts… Not just the staff, I’m saying our team: players, staff, everybody. We’ve really tried to play the right way every night and have the right intent.
“The flow of lineup and rotations, and all that, has been challenging for everybody,” Redick continued. “Not just the coaches. It’s a challenge for the players, and building an identity is difficult.
“The theme of our team last year, and this team is different,” Redick added. “Our identity will eventually be different. But we didn’t get that identity until late January, it felt like. And then we had to shift again. I don’t think it’s unnatural.
“I remember a meeting I had with Phil last year, pretty early in the season,” Redick said. “And he said, ‘I always felt I knew who my team was by Thanksgiving.’ I think that’s hard to figure out with this team right now.”
It is a little bit concerning that Redick feels he still can’t point to their identity. The Lakers entered December with a 15-4 record but went 5-7 in the month to drop to 20-11. Much of the struggles were down to the defense.
The Lakers’ 122.4 defensive rating in December ranks 29th. The Pistons shot 48-76 (63.1%) from the field and 11-24 (45.8%) from beyond the arc in this clash, and teams have had their way far too often lately. There was a drop-off on the other end, too, with their 114.2 offensive rating ranking 17th.
Luka Doncic’s decision-making has come under the spotlight as a result. Redick was asked pregame if there had been any conversations between them about finding the balance between Doncic’s drives and the stepback, and his decisions on the court in general.
“I think there’s a balance you have to find,” Redick said. “We talk about him, Austin [Reaves] when he’s in the lineup, [LeBron James], obviously, those guys are the main guys that can create paint touches for us off the dribble. I think with Luka, he needs that stepback three to set up his drive. It’s all part of the balancing act that he has as an offensive threat.
“And he’ll come to me sometimes,” Redick added. “And be like, ‘I should have driven that. I should have driven that.’ So, I think he’s done [a good job]. He’s the league in scoring; he’s done a good job of finding that balance.”
Doncic leads the NBA with an average of 33.5 points per game, but he wasn’t at his absolute best in December. The five-time All-Star shot 28.9% from beyond the arc and averaged 5.2 turnovers per game. He could certainly make better decisions in terms of shot selection and passing.
We’ll see Doncic and the Lakers in action next against the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena on Friday at 10:30 PM ET.
