JJ Redick spoke after the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 120-119 win over the Indiana Pacers. He noted that the Lakers’ recent slump in form, having lost three of their last five games, is mostly due to fatigue. Well, one person disagrees with Redick, and that’s Kendrick Perkins. On ESPN, Perkins told the American public that Redick was being dishonest and that genuine contenders are actually playing their best basketball right now.
“JJ Redick just lied to the American people. No championship contender is tired. They’re reaching their peak. Tell the people what’s real. Your best player is out of shape. Luka Doncic is so horrible defensively. Since his debut with the Los Angeles Lakers, he is number one in the league in blow-bys.”
“Guess what? I actually blame that on American culture. In American culture, in basketball, we praise nothing but offense. Luka said, since coming overseas, ‘All I gotta do is go put up buckets, big numbers, and stats offensively. I’mma get the accolades, I’mma get everything that comes with it. And I don’t have to sacrifice and do the necessary on the defensive side of things.”
Perkins going after Luka Doncic for his defense is absolutely fair, given that the Slovenian superstar has a history of being defensively lackadaisical. However, to insinuate that Doncic’s defensive weaknesses come from a mindset of not respecting that aspect of the game is quite ridiculous.
On top of that, to suggest that all the contenders in the NBA are playing their best basketball is just not true. The Cleveland Cavaliers had the best record in the NBA for much of the season, including two separate winning streaks of 15+ games.
However, four of the 14 losses they had this season have come in their last 10 games. Conversely, the Denver Nuggets, another team that has been tipped to be contenders, are currently 5-5 in their last 10 games. It’s only the Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder that are “peaking” right now, having gone 9-1 in their last 10 games.
The final stretch of the season, much like all other parts of the season, comes down to momentum and fatigue. The Celtics and Thunder have been able to maintain their momentum. While the Cavaliers, Nuggets, and Lakers have not. Despite what Kendrick Perkins said, it isn’t JJ Redick who is being dishonest with the American people. If anything, Big Perk is the one who is being less than truthful with the facts.
In all honesty, Kendrick Perkins has just made a career out of making some of the most controversial, head-scratching statements while analyzing the game. So much of what he says is steeped in histrionics and hyperbole, along with being severely devoid of context, that it has just become the norm. What works in his favor is his charm and turn of phrase, allowing him to present his thoughts in an engaging way.
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