JJ Redick
The Los Angeles Lakers have hit a rough stretch, going 2–4 over their last six games, but head coach JJ Redick does not see defense or injuries as the core problem. Instead, Redick pointed directly at his team’s offensive organization, or lack of it, as the issue that continues to stall momentum, per Yahoo.
During a recent practice session, Redick explained that the Lakers have struggled to execute basic offensive structure. Plays either do not get run at all or get run incorrectly, even after clear instructions. He pointed to a recent game against Memphis as a prime example, saying the team ran only four of 12 after-timeout plays correctly.
“Just a lot of slippage with execution,” Redick told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “You should be able to transfer 30 seconds of time delay from the clipboard to another, so that was kind of frustrating.”
Execution Issues Continue to Pile Up
Despite moments of offensive production, Redick said the overall trend has remained concerning. The Lakers scored 128 points against Memphis, yet that performance masked larger problems. Over their last six games, Los Angeles has averaged 108.5 points per game, well below its season average of 117.2.
Turnovers have amplified the issue. The Lakers coughed the ball up 20 times against Memphis and committed 22 turnovers in a loss to the Detroit Pistons. In a separate loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, they shot just 38 percent from the field and 16 percent from three-point range. Against Houston and Phoenix, Los Angeles surrendered 24 and 23 points off turnovers, respectively.
Redick summed up the pattern bluntly.
“I don’t know what else to do,” he said. “It’s just like, that’s happening so consistently right now. I chalk it up to the holidays.”
The comments marked another moment where Redick openly acknowledged frustration with his team’s structure. Earlier in the season, following a Christmas Day loss to Houston, he addressed similar concerns, noting that the Lakers had drifted away from organized offense after LeBron James returned from a sciatica issue.
“Since we’ve gotten Bron back, we haven’t been as organized offensively,” Redick said at the time. “Too many random possessions. That’s on me. It’s those three things: defensive clarity, role clarity and offensive organization.”
Lakers Lean on Stars Amid Lineup Gaps
Los Angeles did manage to snap its skid with a 128–121 win over Memphis despite missing Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Gabe Vincent, per LakersNation. With a shortened rotation, Redick leaned on expanded roles from Jake LaRavia and Jaxson Hayes while relying heavily on his stars.
James delivered one of his strongest performances of the season, finishing with 31 points on 12-of-18 shooting while adding nine rebounds and six assists. Luka Doncic matched him with 34 points, six rebounds, and eight assists, giving the Lakers enough firepower to overcome their execution issues for one night.
Redick praised James’ leadership after the game.
“He was phenomenal,” Redick said. “There were stretches where we needed a response, and he just willed it, whether driving the basketball or getting into the paint. He was phenomenal tonight.”
Still, Redick made it clear that individual performances cannot continue to cover for systemic mistakes. With a challenging stretch of the schedule ahead, the Lakers will need sharper focus and cleaner execution if they want to avoid further slippage in the standings.