JJ Redick ‘embarrassed’ after Heat loss, says players need to take more ownership
Following Wednesday’s blowout, JJ Redick was brutally honest with how bad the Lakers played.
Any Lakers fans who missed Wednesday's game between Los Angeles and Miami certainly dodged a bullet. The Lakers made the 10-10 Heat look like world-beaters, losing to them 134-93.
The 41-point deficit was L.A.'s eighth-worst loss since the NBA/ABA merger, but it doesn't fully demonstrate how poorly the team played.
Los Angeles lost every quarter, only holding Miami under 30 points in the fourth. With eight minutes left in the game, Lakers coach JJ Redick conceded and emptied his bench.
After the game, there were no positive takeaways from the result or individual performances and Redick didn't hold back his disgust for how the Lakers played.
"I'm embarrassed, we're all embarrassed," Redick said. "It's not a game I thought we had the right fight, the right professionalism. Not sure what was lost in translation. There has to be some ownership on the court. And I'll take all the ownership in the world. This is my team and I lead it and I'm embarrassed but I can't physically get us organized.
"I can't physically be into the basketball. I can't physically talk and…call out coverages. I'm not blaming players. I own this. But I'm going to need some ownership on the court as well. There's not a sense from me that we're together right now and that's what we say in the huddle. It doesn't feel that way. It doesn't feel that way. We're in a tough stretch. We're all trying to find it."
Those are harsh words from the coach, but something must be said when you have a historically bad loss.
It's interesting to hear Redick's frustration and acknowledgment that while he plays a role for the Lakers, he doesn't literally play. He directs the team and ultimately, players either execute or they don't.
On Wednesday, and over the last eight games, they haven't been able to look good against most opponents.
What is good is that Redick also took ownership and accountability for this result. This currently doesn't sound like a coach throwing players under the bus. Instead, it's him stating the obvious and putting himself under the same scrutiny.
Now, how long comments like this will be taken well by the team is another question.
If the Lakers keep getting cooked and he makes similar comments, perhaps players start pushing back and that pressure starts to rise on what Redick is doing to put this team in a position for success.
For now, wins are what's needed and hopefully, this will be the last time the Lakers get 40-pieced this year.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.