The Los Angeles Lakers may be one of the most explosive offensive teams in the league, but head coach JJ Redick made it clear on Thursday that they are still far from reaching their true potential. After another strong practice, Redick praised the group’s overall scoring ability while also pointing to one glaring issue that continues to hold them back. For a team with championship aspirations, even the smallest flaw becomes magnified, and Redick believes this one is costing them elite status.
“We are No. 1 or No. 2 in shot quality, No. 1 in points per shot, No. 2 in field goal percentage, but we are last in turnover percentage,” Redick said, via Silver Screen And Roll. “It is the difference between having a, whatever we are, 12th offense and a top four offense if we are just league average in turnovers.”
Redick emphasized that the Lakers excel in nearly every offensive action, from pick-and-rolls to dribble handoffs. The team consistently generates high-quality looks and converts at an efficient rate, which makes their turnover problem even more frustrating. In Redick’s eyes, this is not an issue with scheme or talent, but rather a matter of attention to detail and decision-making.
“We are top ten in every single action in terms of efficiency, whether it is on ball, off ball, dribble handoffs, pick and rolls, or isos. It does not matter. We are top ten in every action. We are just literally turning the ball over too much.”
This is what the Lakers brought JJ in for and why they doubled down on his coaching with a long extension. Despite their strong record at 11-4, he continues to raise the bar and demand more from everyone.
So when he realized how much the Lakers are struggling with taking care of the ball this season, he knew he had to speak up publicly to hold his team accountable. The concerning trend even carried over into their last game against the Jazz, where they committed 17 turnovers as a team. While the Lakers still won the matchup, Redick could not let the mistakes slide and potentially allow his players to develop bad habits on the court.
Fortunately, with LeBron James back in action, the Lakers are getting stronger, and his return should help them minimize avoidable mistakes offensively. Most importantly, the players will have to be focused and engaged on the floor, making the right decisions with the ball in their hands.
As a top-five turnover team at 15.9 per game, the Lakers clearly have room for improvement, and Redick is honing in on that heading into mid-November. As long as they can clean up that area of the game, Los Angeles will be positioned for a very successful campaign this season.
The Lakers have the offensive tools to overwhelm anyone, but realizing that potential will come down to discipline. Redick has identified the one flaw keeping them from reaching the next tier, and now it is on the players to respond. If they take his message to heart and start valuing each possession, the Lakers will have everything they need to reach their maximum potential.
