Redick, J.J. I’m annoyed by the Lakers’ lack of effort in their defeat by the Grizzlies, even if LeBron scored 39 points….

Redick, J.J. I’m annoyed by the Lakers’ lack of effort in their defeat by the Grizzlies, even if LeBron scored 39 points.

After the Lakers’ 131-114 road loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday, coach J.J. Redick was clearly upset. He was especially disappointed that his players did not put up the same amount of effort as he did, with the exception of LeBron James, 39. Especially without Rui Hachimura and Anthony Davis, James put on a fantastic performance, scoring a season-high 39 points in just 35 minutes. Redick praised James’ outstanding performance but made it apparent that the squad as a whole did not put out the same level of effort, which he believed to be a serious problem.

Redick bemoaned the team’s lack of intensity during the postgame press conference, pointing out their slow defensive performance and inability to execute simple moves. He underlined that James outperformed despite his advanced age.

He reprimanded the players for surrendering easy scores after made jumpers, jogging back on defense, and improperly matching up. Redick immediately finished his remarks, indicating his displeasure with the whole effort and telling reporters that he had already discussed the matter with the team.
Additionally, Redick identified several players whose performance was below par, including as veteran D’Angelo Russell. Russell was benched for a large portion of the second half and only played 22 minutes, which was his lowest amount of play this season. He shot poorly, making only 4 of 12 attempts, including just 2 of 9 from three-point range, even though he scored 12 points. Redick clarified that Russell’s less minutes were a tactical choice rather than a punishment since he thought the team had a better chance of winning with other players on the court. Despite occasional improvements, he pointed out that Russell’s inconsistency has been a persistent problem.