JJ Redick went on a diatribe against his players for their poor effort during their blowout loss against the Houston Rockets on Christmas Day. The Los Angeles Lakers head coach said that the team is in for an “uncomfortable” practice session ahead of their Sunday home game against the Sacramento Kings.
During a recent episode of Gil’s Arena, former NBA player Kenyon Martin Sr. did not mince words, as he questioned whether Redick has the chops to lead the Los Angeles Lakers moving forward.
“Them dudes don’t respect you. You are their peer,” Martin said of Redick. “Just because you are the head coach doesn’t mean they look at you as such. And the main culprit is the guy you just had the podcast with who helped get you the job. If they did, they’d play harder, they’d get back on defense.”
“You can want it for them, but until they want it for themselves and look in the mirror, they’re not gonna do it,” he added. “They’re just not, and they don’t respect the messenger.”
Los Angeles Lakers News: Expert chimes in on Austin Reaves’ latest calf injury
The Los Angeles Lakers have suffered a massive injury blow, as Austin Reaves was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left calf strain and will be re-evaluated in four weeks, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. According to injury analyst Jeff Stotts, Reaves could be out for at least 40 days.
“The calf muscle complex is comprised of multiple muscles, including the two-headed gastrocnemius muscle and the soleus. The muscles share a conjoined tendon, the Achilles. The average time lost for all Grade 2 calf strains in the NBA is ~40.1 days,” Stotts posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Before his injury, Reaves was enjoying a career year, averaging 26.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists on 50.7 percent shooting from the field. With Reaves out, Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia will receive an uptick in playing time and usage.
