After a 119-109 loss to the Golden State Warriors in their opener, Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick found himself echoing a familiar refrain that the Lakers‘ biggest problems are of their own making.
Redick, who inked a contract extension this offseason to cement his long-term role with the organization, didn’t mince words about what went wrong.
The Lakers committed 15 turnovers in the first half alone, a glaring sign that their offense remains a work in progress.
“Trying to throw a lob pass to DA, ends up being a turnover… It’s mostly self-inflicted,” Redick said, describing the miscommunication and poor execution that led to repeated giveaways.
A young system meets early turbulence
The Lakers‘ issues went beyond turnovers. They struggled to maintain spacing, their timing on screens was inconsistent, and the Warriors capitalized with a decisive second-quarter run.
Assistant coach Nate McMillan echoed the head coach’s concerns during a mid-game interview, noting that “spacing and ball-handling issues” allowed Golden State to build momentum and force the Lakers into disarray.
Redick later elaborated on those problems, connecting them to the growing pains of a group still learning each other’s tendencies.
“It shows up more on defense… there’s going to be growing pains with that, hopefully it’s not long. It’s more organization than knowing guys’ tendencies,” he said.
His comments reflected both realism and restraint. Redick understands that system integration takes time, especially after an offseason filled with roster changes and the introduction of a new offensive philosophy built on motion, timing, and quick decisions.
LeBron’s health looms but isn’t the issue
Amid the rough debut, LeBron James largely avoided criticism from his coach. The 39-year-old veteran has been managing an early case of sciatica, and Redick made no attempt to tie the team’s struggles to his superstar’s condition.
The Lakers‘ rotation remains in flux as Redick experiments with combinations that can balance speed, shooting, and defensive reliability.
That experimentation, combined with the adjustment to Redick‘s system, has produced inconsistency, the kind of turbulence that new coaches often face, especially with veteran rosters that must adapt to unfamiliar schemes.
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