The Los Angeles Lakers have had plenty of peaks and valleys in their first season with JJ Redick as the head coach, and Tuesday night was one of those low points. The Lakers got crushed on the road by the Phoenix Suns in a 127-100 drubbing in NBA Cup action.
This was the first NBA Cup game the Lakers had ever lost after running the table and winning the first ever In-season Tournament last season. However, the Suns humbled them in the return of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal in this game. The Suns shot over 50% from the field and finished 17-for-42 from 3-point range while committing just nine turnovers.
After the game, JJ Redick was understandably irritated with his team's performance. While reflecting on the loss, Redick said that some changes might be coming to the team on the defensive end of the floor, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
“JJ Redick said the Lakers are going to have to look at changing their defensive schemes against the league’s better offenses,” Buha reported on X, formerly Twitter. “He said the Suns’ stars got both whatever they wanted individually offensively and also were able to generate open 3s for their teammates.”
Defense has been the problem for the Lakers all season. Through Tuesday's games, Redick's club ranks fourth in the league in offensive rating and 27th in defensive rating, so they know what needs to get cleaned up.
Lakers too inconsistent to be true contender right now
The Lakers have shown the ability to compete with some of the best teams in the league this season, but they aren't doing it enough to sit near the top of a very crowded and talented Western Conference.
The Lakers' inconsistencies are easy to see when you look at how their season has gone so far. Los Angeles started off 4-0 under JJ Redick before losing four games in a row. Then, they won six straight to get to 10-4 before losing the last three games.
The Lakers are still in a good spot in the playoff race, but a cushion in the standings would be nice considering the burden that the Lakers are currently putting on LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Giving Davis a rest here and there would be especially important, as the superstar big man has a big of an assignment as anybody in the league on a nightly basis.
In addition to driving one of the best offenses in the NBA alongside James, the Lakers' defense essentially hinges on Davis being on the floor. They lack perimeter defenders and rebounders up and down the roster. Therefore, Davis is asked to be the eraser in a lot of situations for the Lakers. He is elite both in the paint and on the perimeter, and he will be the key to turning this defense around and turning this team into a contender out west.
