Michael Malone did not bother softening his point when the conversation turned to the Los Angeles Lakers. While appearing on NBA Countdown, the former Denver Nuggets head coach offered a blunt assessment of JJ Redick and the way the Lakers have handled accountability this season. Malone questioned Redick’s habit of airing frustrations publicly, suggesting it has created noise the team does not need and distractions that quietly add up over time.
“I’m a firm believer in you have a lot of those conversations one-on-one in the locker room, in front of your team. You call guys out. I know for myself, going into every season, you want to eliminate as many distractions as possible.”
“Winning is hard in the NBA, and when you have JJ calling out his players, you got LeBron talking about not having the ball enough, DeAndre Ayton talking about not having the ball enough, there’s a lot of noise around this team right now.”
“And that’s cool, they’re 4-1 in the last five games, but as you touched on earlier, they haven’t beaten anybody of a substantial team, so tonight will be a real test for them. They’re playing better. LeBron and Luka, at least it looks like they’re playing better together, but can they beat a team that’s over .500?”
“And it’s hard to have an identity when you don’t guard. You’re great in the clutch, but a lot of those clutch wins have been against teams below .500. Every night you’re not sure which Laker team you’re going to get. And I saw that picture of JJ Redick. I feel for him. He’s got that look, a thousand-mile stare.”
The timing gave the comments extra weight. Redick has been unusually direct in recent weeks, calling out the Lakers’ defensive effort, questioning consistency, and openly admitting frustration with execution. Honesty can be refreshing, yet Malone hinted at the downside. When criticism becomes public and frequent, it can slowly wear on trust, especially inside a locker room filled with established voices and strong personalities.
Malone also zoomed out and pointed to how crowded the conversation around the Lakers has become. LeBron James has spoken openly about adjusting to having the ball less. Deandre Ayton has mentioned wanting more touches. Malone described it simply as a lot of noise, even if the recent win column looks respectable.
On paper, the Lakers sit at 23-12, comfortably in the top four in the West. Dig a little deeper, though, and Malone’s skepticism makes sense. The Lakers rank 21st in defensive rating and remain the only team in the top half of the conference with a negative net rating.
Until recently, their point differential was zero despite stacking wins. They have been excellent in close games, but many of those victories came against teams below .500, another detail Malone quietly highlighted.
That context matters. Redick’s approach is rooted in urgency. He inherited a roster with flaws and a limited margin for patience. Calling things out publicly can be a way to force standards into place quickly. Malone’s warning, though, comes from experience. The teams that last tend to keep their disagreements internal, especially when expectations are high, and mistakes get magnified.
In the end, Malone framed it as a test rather than a verdict. Winning stretches are one thing. Sustaining success against quality opponents while keeping cohesion intact is another. For the Lakers, the real question is not whether Redick is right or wrong, but whether his methods help create something stable. If the noise keeps growing and the defense does not follow, the distractions Malone cautioned against may become impossible to tune out.
