The Lakers are going through it.
Los Angeles has lost three straight games and six of its last 10 games. Following a 23-point loss to the Rockets on Christmas Day, coach JJ Redick promised an “uncomfortable” practice and team meeting for Saturday to get the train back on its tracks.
Redick spoke to reporters Saturday to describe the planned shift after sounding off on his team’s effort and execution following the loss to Houston that marked the Lakers’ third straight loss of 15-plus points. The second-year coach described Saturday as a day of “recalibration and reconnection” for his 19-10 squad.
“I’m always going to look in the mirror first,” Redick said at Lakers practice Saturday via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I think it’s easy as a player and as a coach to say, ‘well, it’s this guy’s fault,’ or ‘we’re not doing this because of X, Y and Z.’ So we had a great meeting with the staff this morning, came in super early and met with the players.
“It was very positive, it was also listening. For our staff, for myself, to listen to players.”
JJ Redick speaks after the Lakers’ Saturday team meeting and practice coming off the disappointing Christmas Day loss. He called it a day of “recalibration and reconnection” for his team pic.twitter.com/fAN0oH4pDf
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 27, 2025
In another blow, star guard Austin Reaves is set to miss at least a month after he was diagnosed with a grade 2 left gastrocnemius strain.
Did JJ Redick call out specific Lakers players after Christmas Day loss?
Redick didn’t drop any names, but in his postgame press conference after the loss to the Rockets, he said that he sees repeat offenders who he vowed to have a rude awakening in the form of Saturday’s “uncomfortable” practice.
The Lakers coach was asked about whether those players were aware of his perceived lack of effort during the slow stretch.
“I think they are and I think the group’s aware,” Redick continued. “I mean, the group feels it. They’re on the court together, they’re in the huddles together. There wasn’t anything that needed to be addressed that wasn’t addressed. There’s times as a coach where you can’t address everything every day in front of the group, that’s just not how this works. My staff and I do a good job if there’s something that needs to be addressed in the moment, it gets addressed. ... It was as much listening for us as it was anything else.”
Despite the Lakers’ struggles, they are still tied for fourth place in the Western Conference with the Timberwolves. But in such a loaded conference, even the smallest of margins can be the difference between home court in the first round of the postseason and the play-in tournament. Currently, just 2.5 games separates the fourth and seventh place teams. L.A.’s next opportunity to get right comes Sunday at home against the 8-23 Kings.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as JJ Redick Describes Lakers' 'Recalibration' After Christmas Day Stinker.
