The James family has garnered the most headlines in the NBA's first three weeks, but the rookie head coach of the 4-4 Los Angeles Lakers is making a strong case for the No. 2 spot.
JJ Redick was back in the spotlight Wednesday night, and his frustration with point guard D'Angelo Russell and the Lakers was evident as they struggled to beat the Grizzlies 131-114.
About halfway through the third quarter, the Lakers head coach showed up. slam the chair over and over again Russell returned to the court after one particularly questionable offensive decision led to an easy transition 3 for Memphis.
With the ball in his hands and 10 seconds left on the shot clock, Russell drained a 3-pointer from the corner that swept Grizzlies center Jay Huff off his feet.
The guard beat Huff, but instead of driving inside toward the basket, Russell dribbled the ball backwards through his legs and pulled up for a corner three.
Huff had time to reset and went up to the block once more, this time successfully deflecting the shot to a teammate. On the other side of the court, the big man finished the play with a 20-foot 3-pointer to give Memphis a double-digit lead.
Russell was ejected from the game shortly after and never saw the floor again.
Conversation with reporters after the game – A press conference that ends with the head coach dropping the microphone and leaving the field – Reddick expressed frustration. Through the team's transition defense and overall effort.
When asked specifically about Russell's play, the head coach said: [his level of compete and attention to details]at other times [he’s] You're just falling back into certain habits. ”
Redick tried to downplay being benched, saying, “It wasn't like a punishment. I just felt like we had a chance to win this game and that was the path we wanted to take.”
In a season-low 22 minutes of play, Russell scored 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting from the floor. He made 2 of 9 attempts from beyond the arc.
Now in his second full season with the Lakers, his minutes played, shot attempts, field goal percentage, rebounds, assists, steals, and nearly every All-Star stat are down from a year ago, although the sample size is small. I am doing it. point.
Talent is certainly not an issue for Russell, who has always been one of the league's best shooters.
Redick said after the Lakers' loss (their fourth loss in five games) that the problem is more troubling than that.
“You have a choice in how you play every night. It has nothing to do with making shots,” Reddick said.
