The Los Angeles Lakers have won two straight games after slowing down toward the end of the 2025 calendar year. As the season progresses, the team is still trying to figure out the best way to evaluate and stabilize its offense. Head coach JJ Redick has admitted that since LeBron James returned, the offense has struggled.
“Since we’ve gotten Bron back, we haven’t been as organized offensively,” Redick said. “Too many random possessions. That’s on me. It’s those 3 things: defensive clarity, role clarity and offensive organization.”
However, the Lakers appeared to hit rock bottom on Christmas night when they lost to the Houston Rockets. Following the game, Redick openly called out his players for a lack of professionalism and effort. It was another blunt postgame rant, something Redick has become known for early in his tenure as head coach.
“We're a terrible basketball team and tonight we were a terrible basketball team...we don't care enough to be a professional...we don't have it right now. Saturday's practice I told the guys it's gonna be uncomfortable. The meeting is gonna be uncomfortable. I'm not doing another 53 games like this,” Redick said after losing to the Houston Rockets.
On Monday’s NBA on ESPN, Kendrick Perkins weighed in on the Lakers’ situation and suggested that Redick may be losing the locker room, specifically pointing to role players such as Deandre Ayton.
“[JJ Redick] has lost the ears of the locker room... Him & LeBron [James] are always gonna be on the same page... Why are the other guys not listening to you, your role players?... [Deandre Ayton's] tone has changed,” Perkins said.
There is a growing belief around the NBA that Redick may be losing the locker room. If the entire team isn’t fully bought in, there is only so far the Lakers can go before internal issues begin to surface.
The spotlight continues to shine on Redick as he works to regain the trust of the locker room. Whether it’s an issue of ego, communication, or respect, something will have to change if the Lakers want to reach the level of success they believe is possible this season.