The Los Angeles Lakers are in the middle of their toughest stretch of the season with games against the Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks on back to back nights. Add in injuries and fatigue and it’s clear this is a tough period for the team. But head coach JJ Redick has made it clear: no excuses or complaints about the schedule.
Redick’s No-Excuses Mentality
“No One Is Going to Feel Sorry for Us”
During a recent team meeting, JJ Redick called out the Lakers’ excuses. When star point guard Chris Paul mentioned how tough the schedule was, Redick used it as an opportunity to tell the team to stop whining.
“It was a couple weeks ago during film session at the facility,” Redick said. “I told them straight up: no one is going to feel sorry for us. Back-to-backs? Tough matchups? That’s just part of being in the NBA.”
Redick said every team faces these kinds of challenges at some point in the season. For the Lakers, this stretch is six games in eight days with three consecutive back-to-backs—a tough ask for any team. But instead of focusing on that, Redick wants his players to have a “next-game mentality.”
“You gotta play the game in front of you and then move on to the next thing,” he said. “Try to get better each day.”
Injuries and Roster Issues
Winning Through Adversity
The Lakers just got through a four game road trip where they went 0-4, largely due to missing key rotation players like LeBron James. Despite all that, the team has shown some resilience since getting back home and won two in a row against the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns.
LeBron and Rui Hachimura are close to returning and the Lakers are hopeful to get full strength back. But even as reinforcements arrive, Redick knows the schedule doesn’t get any easier. He emphasized the importance of staying focused and not getting bogged down by what’s ahead.
“This two week stretch, starting with Boston and ending with this homestand, was always going to be tough,” Redick said. “There will still be tough parts of the schedule left but we can’t afford to dwell on that. We have to take it one game at a time.”
Jordan Goodwin’s Role and Contract Dilemma
One player who has emerged as a key contributor during this stretch is Jordan Goodwin. Signed to a two way contract earlier in the season, Goodwin has earned the coaches trust with his non stop energy and defensive tenacity. After the Lakers win over the Spurs, Redick praised Goodwin.
“He’s really earned the coaches trust,” Redick said. “But unfortunately that’s the nature of two way contracts, they’re complicated.”
Goodwin has played in 14 games so far, started three but his eligibility is limited to 50 games unless the Lakers convert his deal to a standard NBA contract by April 13. With only five games left before he hits that cap, the front office has a decision to make: waive someone to create roster space or risk losing Goodwin’s contributions down the stretch.
Roster Crunch
Redick said managing the roster has become a tightrope and with Trey Jemison III also on a two way deal, its even more complicated. Both have played well so the Lakers have to think long and hard.
“It’s something we’re just gonna manage,” Redick said. “Right now with guys out we can’t afford to have [Goodwin] out of the rotation. As we get healthy we’ll reassess.”
Waiving a guy like Cam Reddish—an offseason signing who has fallen out of the rotation—would seem to be the easy solution but Redick and the front office aren’t in a rush to make moves. They’re using these last few weeks of the season to evaluate every piece of the puzzle.
Focus on Health and Winning
Despite all the struggles, the Lakers are still in the playoffs conversation, currently 5th in the west. Their defense has been great since they got Dorian Finney-Smith in December, 4th in efficiency. LeBron, Luka and Austin Reaves are all playing above their normal defensive selves and we can hope for a deep run.
Finney-Smith echoed Redick’s comments after the Suns win, “We can beat any team in the league when we keep them under 100. All we gotta do is play defense.”
As they get into the final stretch of the season, the Lakers focus is on being healthy, winning and getting ready for the playoffs. With Redick’s leadership and a sense of accountability, they’re ready for whatever’s ahead.
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