“Odd” indeed.
JJ Redick’s Lakers haven’t been able to do much of anything right as of late — dropping six of their last eight games, including a 41-point blowout loss to the Heat on Wednesday night.
“We’re having trouble right now on both ends with, like, base-level game-plan stuff,” Redick said after the 134-93 loss. “It’s odd. It’s very odd.”
“Odd” is an appropriate descriptor, especially considering this Lakers team — now 12-10 — got off to a blazing start.
Los Angeles climbed to 10-4 out of the gate, in no small part because star forward Anthony Davis was playing MVP-caliber basketball.
Not to mention LeBron James was besting Father Time as he opened his 21st NBA season at age 39.
Further, the Lakers found a gem in rookie sensation Dalton Knecht, who fell to Los Angeles at No. 17 in this year’s draft.
But the last three weeks have not been kind to the Lakers.
Those six losses in their last eight have come by an average of 21.8 points. And Wednesday night’s debacle set a new low.
The Heat shot the lights out at the Kaseya Center — setting a new franchise record for 3s in a regular-season game with 24 — but they also worked harder at every juncture, including along the glass, where they out-rebounded the Lakers, 52-36.
Heat star Tyler Herro had the hottest hand of the evening and knocked down nine 3-pointers. During one stretch, the 25-year-old connected on seven straight from behind the arc.
“It’s embarrassing,” Redick said postgame. “I’m embarrassed. We’re all embarrassed. It’s not a game that I thought we had the right fight, the right professionalism.”
The Lakers shot 42 percent from the field and 22.7 percent from 3 in their night to forget.
Redick, in his first season at the helm, is far from the only one to shoulder the blame.
“It’s not on the coaches, it’s definitely on us,” James said in his post-game presser. “It sucks for sure to get your ass whooped like that…”
Davis added, “I personally just think it starts with me. If I play better, then guys play better. I definitely take accountability, especially the last couple of games.”
Although there’s still time to right the ship, if the Lakers can’t flip past Wednesday’s disaster, words more flagrant than “odd” are going to start flying around Los Angeles.