JJ Redick is "embarrassed" after Lakers woeful offensive performance in 41-point loss
By Quinn Everts
Remember like two weeks ago when the Los Angeles Lakers had one of the five best offenses in the NBA? It feels like a lifetime ago at this point, and tonight might have been the sign that those days are gone for good.
The Los Angeles Lakers lost by a season-worst 41 points to the Miami Heat, 134-93, in a game they never seemed to have a chance in. LeBron James had his best offensive game in about two weeks with 29 points, but that was the only bright spot in a brutal night in which the Heat made 24 3-pointers while the Lakers made 5. Being outscored by 57 from beyond the arc... not a recipe for success. Anthony Davis scoring 8 points doesn't help, either.
Head coach JJ Redick wasn't thrilled with the effort tonight, saying "I'm embarrassed. We're all embarrassed," in his postgame comments, also saying "There has to be some ownership," referring to both himself and the players.
JJ Redick: “I’m embarrassed. We’re all embarrassed. It’s not a game where we had the right fight, the right professionalism … There has to be some ownership … I own this but there’s going to have to be some ownership on the court”
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 5, 2024
He didn't completely throw his players under the bus, which is... nice? I can't blame him for wanting more out of his players, though. Redick hasn't been perfect as a coach but he can't go out there and make shots. Actually... he probably would have helped LA's 3-point shooting tonight. But the point is, there's only so much he can do.
At the same time, this roster has serious limitations. Redick is understandably upset, but... this roster probably doesn't have the horses to compete seriously in the West, and Redick is learning that the hard way.
Lakers offense has disappeared recently
What appeared, early on, to be the best offense in the LeBron and Anthony Davis era for the Lakers has quickly come crashing down to Earth. The team scored 93 points tonight, after scoring 80 points on Monday, and scored 93 against OKC on Friday. Only once in the past four games has Los Angeles eclipsed 100 points, and that was done (barely) against the Jazz in a 105-104 win.
The sky isn't falling for the Lakers; they're still 12-10, Anthony Davis is still having a dominant season despite a few recent duds, and JJ Redick seems competent as a head coach. But the recent version of the Lakers offense is, in the words of JJ... Embarrassing. This version of the Lakers won't win much of anything.
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