The Los Angeles Lakers squandered a great opportunity to build momentum, losing a game against the Dallas Mavericks that wasn’t even close. A lackluster defensive effort was on full display, with sloppy closeouts, missed rotations, and constant blow-bys allowing the Mavericks to shoot 52.3% from the field and hit 18 three-pointers.
Head coach JJ Redick expressed frustration, exasperation, and disappointment during his postgame presser, attributing the team’s defensive struggles to a lack of execution. “Our basic defense just wasn’t good,” he said. The Lakers’ inability to get stops on drives and kicks was evident throughout the game, with open three-pointers being created off drives and kicks.
In a shocking display, Redick admitted that he had never seen his team execute such a coverage before. The team’s failure to stay with their own man or zone up was a critical error, and Redick acknowledged that they did neither effectively. For Lakers fans looking for hope, the team has generally bounced back after bad defeats this season – but unfortunately, it’s a pattern that has happened too often in 2023-24.
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Source: https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2025/1/7/24338881/jj-redick-lakers-mavs-defense-reaction-stats-dallas