Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick did not mince words after his team’s 119-96 loss to the Houston Rockets on Christmas night at crypto.com Arena.
Redick’s postgame press conference centered less on tactics and more on accountability, effort, and what he described as a troubling lack of professionalism.
“It was not my decision, but Austin clearly felt something,” Redick said when asked about Austin Reaves, who did not return after halftime due to a sore left calf. “As we were walking out of the locker room, Dr. Sims told me he was out.”
Pressed on his overall assessment of the performance, Redick was direct. “The two words of the day were effort and execution,” he said. “When we haven’t done both of those things at a high level, we’re a terrible basketball team. And tonight, we were a terrible basketball team.”
The Lakers were outworked from the opening minutes, surrendering second-chance points and committing turnovers that fueled Houston’s early control. “It started legitimately right away,” Redick said. “It doesn’t matter how I feel.”
Asked why the same issues continue to surface, Redick offered his most pointed remark of the night. “Because we don’t care enough right now,” he said. “We don’t care enough to be a professional.”
Redick tied those comments to what he sees as a deeper cultural issue. “I always say this about culture,” he said. “Can it change like that. We don’t have it right now.”
Despite having two days off before their next game, Redick rejected the idea that practice time is the problem. “We practice them all the time,” he said. “It’s a matter of making the choice. Too often we have guys that don’t want to make that choice.”
He made it clear that changes are coming. “Saturday’s practice, the meeting is going to be uncomfortable,” Redick said. “I’m not doing another 53 games like this.”
On whether the current situation mirrors a rough stretch from last season, Redick was candid. “I wish I had a good answer to that question,” he said. “Each individual guy is at a different space.”
When asked if effort is coachable, Redick pointed to habits. “Do I care enough to actually do what I’m supposed to do and do it consistently,” he said. “That’s what championship habits are, and that’s what we don’t have right now.”
The Rockets never trailed, led by Amen Thompson’s 26 points and Kevin Durant’s 25 points and nine assists, while dominating the glass 48-25 behind Alperen Sengun’s 12 rebounds.
Luka Doncic scored 25 points and LeBron James added 18, but the duo combined for nine turnovers as Los Angeles fell to 19-10.
Houston hosts Cleveland on Saturday, while the Lakers try to regroup Sunday against Sacramento under an increasingly intense spotlight.
