The Los Angeles Lakers‘ inspired postseason run came to an end on Monday night, as the Purple and Gold suffered a 115-110 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4. Although the team’s performance in the final game was impressive, it does not negate the fact that JJ Redick‘s side was swept all the same.
For the most part, there was virtually no expectation for the Lakers to outlast the top-seeded Thunder, especially with a shorthanded roster. Still, former NBA player Rashad McCants demanded more from JJ Redick and his team, critiquing the Lakers’ head coach on “Gil’s Arena” after the loss.
McCants began by addressing the narrative surrounding LeBron James and the Lakers’ first-round win, stating:
“All we know is they got swept with this broom… We know that the first round wasn’t no sweep. The first round was, ‘Man, if he loses this series against this team, it’s going to affect his legacy.’ No, it’s not. The legacy is cemented… ‘If LeBron gets them out of the first round against Houston, he’s gotta be the GOAT, right?’”
Needless to say, the former NBA player was taking a shot at the media at this point for creating such narratives in the first place. However, when the topic shifted to the Lakers being swept in the second round by the Thunder, he stated:
“So you get praised for that? Get them [the Rockets] out of the first round, good. Get your a– swept, like, 23 years you’ve [James] been playing. JJ Redick, you have 100-plus wins in two years as a coach. Darvin Ham got killed, ridiculed. He went to the conference finals and then got swept. This is a big deal.”
McCants decision to compare JJ Redick with Darvin Ham is an intriguing one. From a playoff perspective, Ham was arguably more successful, as he led the Lakers to a WCF appearance. However, given the circumstances, it could be argued that McCants is being quite harsh.
To that point, the panel was also in awe of McCants’ critique, as it seemed largely unfair. Former NBA player Kenyon Martin even asserted that the Thunder were just the better team this season. Still, McCants added:
“OKC didn’t do nothing special to prove that the Lakers couldn’t have competed and won 2 games, and win 3 games, because they didn’t execute. They didn’t do basketball s–t, because they’re not a good-coached team.”
By this stage, Rashad McCants seemed to be unilaterally pinning the loss on JJ Redick. Although there is reason to believe Redick can be partly blamed for the Lakers’ shortcomings, the harsh reality is that the Purple and Gold weren’t good enough to beat OKC.
With a heavily depleted roster to close out the regular season, the Lakers’ rotation kicked into overdrive to help secure the fourth seed in the West. This poured over into the first-round series, where LeBron James routinely stepped up to the plate to lead L.A. to victory. Even with Austin Reaves returning to the rotation, the Lakers’ offense was still lacking, as their best scorer, Luka Doncic, was still recovering from injury.
In the overall scheme of things, Redick made do with what he had, and to that point, he showed that the Lakers could put up a decent fight. However, against a team like OKC, there is very little that can be done outside of being perfect for four quarters.
During his exit interview, JJ Redick admitted that the Lakers didn’t have enough to win the title this season. While this comment can be viewed as a little bit of a cop out, it will be intriguing to see how L.A.’s front office responds over the summer.
