Los Angeles Lakers coach J.J. Redick certainly seemed youthful than his 40 years upon storming out of Wednesday’s postgame press convention.
Not significantly youthful or toddler youthful, simply missing the refinement befitting a person his age—if not his NBA head teaching expertise.
All of us bear in mind the standing Mike Gundy as soon as ascribed to 40-year-olds, proper?
Frustration undoubtedly obtained the higher of Redick as he digested a 1-4 street journey. Being requested repeatedly to dissect why LeBron James, six months and 6 days the rookie coach’s junior, exhibited probably the most effort of any Laker within the journey finale at Memphis merely added up.
Right here’s hoping Redick listened to a positive-thinking podcast or slept it off on the flight residence. On a roster with its share of inconsistent performers, the coach should set a gradual instance.
Memphis defeated Los Angeles 131-114 on Wednesday, the Lakers’ second-most lopsided defeat on the journey.
Middle Anthony Davis, the workforce’s main scorer and rebounder, missed the sport with left heel soreness, whereas an sickness saved fellow starter Rui Hachimura out.
James aimed to shoulder the absences as finest he may, scoring 39 factors on 15-for-24 taking pictures to go along with seven rebounds and 6 assists.
“I feel LeBron was unbelievable tonight,” Redick mentioned. “Greatest factor that stood out … he performed exhausting. Virtually 40 years outdated and performed the toughest on our workforce. It says rather a lot about him.”
Redick confirmed that singling out can go each methods when he spoke of D’Angelo Russell, who logged solely 6:06 of his season-low 22 minutes after halftime. His 12 factors had been inefficient, Redick thought, as Russell went simply 4-for-12 from the ground, together with 2-for-9 from deep.
“Simply stage of compete, consideration to element, among the issues we’ve talked with him about for a few weeks,” Redick mentioned. “And at occasions, he’s been actually good with that stuff and different occasions, it’s simply reverting again to sure habits.”
The Lakers are set to return residence Friday night time, kicking off a three-game homestand towards a foe that additionally has heard sufficient concerning the “E” phrase.
Effort to consider the Philadelphia 76ers with out envisioning Joel Embiid, who’s serving a three-game suspension for shoving Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes.
Sidelined within the early season by a knee harm, Embiid took exception to a Hayes column that referenced Embiid’s son and late brother in critiquing the star heart’s capability to remain in form.
Redick merely transferred strain to the highest of a desk when he walked out of his media session in Memphis. A follow-up query about tips on how to tackle effort with seemingly each Laker, however James drew his ire; it already was a well-liked subject within the postgame.
“It goes again to decisions,” Redick mentioned earlier. “It’s one thing we’ve mentioned as a bunch, and you’ve got a alternative each night time for the way you play. It has nothing to do with making pictures. There’s obtained to be a bunch of individuals, seven to eight guys, that make that alternative and we’re a very good basketball workforce.
“We obtained a handful, two or three, we’re not going to be a superb basketball workforce that night time. That’s simply the truth.”
The Lakers landed within the latter class most of the time throughout the street journey. Friday brings their subsequent strive at reversing course.
