The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a humiliating 139-106 loss to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night. It was the team’s fifth straight loss and dropped their record to 24-28, trailing the Western Conference leaders by 10 games. The Lakers have now lost 11 of their last 13 games, and their once-promising season seems to be slipping away.
Former NBA player JJ Redick, who currently works as an analyst for ESPN, expressed his embarrassment for the Lakers’ performance in a segment for “Get Up!” on Wednesday morning. Redick, who played for the Lakers in 2019-20, bluntly stated, “We’re all embarrassed. I’m embarrassed for the Lakers. I’m embarrassed for everybody associated with the Lakers.”
Redick went on to criticize the Lakers’ lack of effort and execution. “They’re not playing hard enough. They’re not executing. They’re not doing the little things that win games,” he said. “They’re just not a good basketball team.”
The Lakers have struggled all season, but their recent slump has been particularly alarming. They have lost to some of the league’s worst teams, including the Sacramento Kings and the Detroit Pistons. The team’s offense has been anemic, averaging only 109.6 points per game, 24th in the NBA.
The Lakers’ defense has also been poor, allowing opponents to score 118.5 points per game, 29th in the league. The team has been particularly vulnerable in the paint, where they have allowed opponents to shoot 62.6%, the worst mark in the NBA.
The Lakers’ struggles have been compounded by the absence of LeBron James, who has missed the last three games with a foot injury. James is the Lakers’ leading scorer, rebounder, and assist man, and his absence has been a major blow to the team.
However, Redick believes that James’ absence is not an excuse for the Lakers’ poor performance. “They have enough talent to win games, even without Bron,” he said. “They just need to play harder and execute.”
The Lakers’ outlook for the rest of the season is grim. They are now 10 games behind the Western Conference leaders and have a tough schedule ahead of them. The team will need to turn things around quickly if they want to have any chance of making the playoffs.
However, Redick believes that the Lakers can still salvage their season. “They have enough talent to be a good team,” he said. “They just need to find a way to gel and play together.”
The Lakers’ loss to the Celtics was a humiliating moment for the franchise. JJ Redick believes that the team is embarrassed by their performance and needs to turn things around quickly. The Lakers have a tough road ahead of them, but they have enough talent to make the playoffs if they can find a way to play together.
