Lakers fans might have felt they were hard done by the team’s strong 3-1 start to the 2024-25 season. The players were doing well under JJ Redick’s system, and Anthony Davis was starting the season strong with solid performances that had fans and pundits talking. Austin Reaves and the rest of the roster were clicking in front of their home crowd.
However, things took a turn for the worse after the Purple and Gold lost three of their next four contests. While all these losses were painful for the fans, their 131-114 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies is the biggest lowlight of the season so far.
It’s still early in the season, so fans shouldn’t start hitting the panic button the same way JJ Redick seems to be already doing. However, the rookie head coach has taken steps to remind the team of his expectations of every squad member.
Austin Reaves shares JJ Redick’s demands from the team after the Lakers’ disappointing loss
Reaves addressed the media after the Purple and Gold’s 114-131 loss to the Grizzlies, which ended a tumultuous five-game road trip.
He shared with the media what Redick told the team after the game.
“We have to be better with every aspect of the game.,” Reaves explained. “The main thing [was] competing and following the game plan. They laid out good stuff for us to execute and just haven’t done that on this trip. We gotta go home, look ourselves in the mirror, and do better.”
He also talked about how the Lakers’ first road trip of the year has been so far:
“It’s frustrating. You want to win every game. On this road trip, it’s not what we wanted to do, obviously. I think you could take little [good] things here and there throughout this road trip.”
He talked about how he and LeBron James have been one of the few bright spots for LA on the road and how the rest of the team is doing everything to turn the tide.
It’s not like AR15 is a part of the problem, though. The third-year veteran continues to make strides with his game, averaging 17.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.6 steals through the first eight games of the year.
The Lakers need to be as good on the road as they are at the Crypto.com Arena to get the best seed possible for the postseason. Winning without AD will be tough, but Reaves and the rest of his teammates must step up and take over the slack to lessen the burden on their star big man’s shoulders.
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