JJ Redick did not try to soften the truth as his Los Angeles Lakers begin a daunting playoff test. The focus shifted quickly to their Western Conference semifinal clash with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Redick’s words reflect the painful chapters of recent history. The Lakers are already without Luka Doncic for the start of the series, and the opponent in front of them looks complete. Oklahoma City swept the Phoenix Suns in the opening round and enters with momentum. Redick knows what his group is up against, and he chose honesty over comfort.
JJ Redick candidly admits Thunder’s dominance over Lakers
JJ Redick’s assessment was blunt, almost jarring in its simplicity. “We sucked against this team,” he said, reflecting on a regular season where the Lakers went 0-4 against Oklahoma City. The losses were not close either. Three came by double digits, and in several of those games, the offense struggled to even reach 100 points.Pressed further, Redick did not walk it back. “We couldn’t learn a lot from three of those games because we were God-awful,” he admitted, underlining just how little value he found in those matchups beyond a warning sign.Still, this is not a coach waving the white flag. The Lakers adjusted well in their first-round win over the Houston Rockets, leaning on structure and discipline. Redick pointed to that growth but made it clear it may not be enough this time.“We’ve been able to execute. I think just going back to the last three games of the regular season, we kinda had to reset with not a lot of time and build something new on the fly. I think our guys were able to find their way and find their way from an execution standpoint,” he said. Then came the reminder. “This is a different team, the best team, and it’s gonna require more.”
JJ Redick on Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Containing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be the primary challenge. Redick knows it, and so does everyone in the building. Oklahoma City’s offense flows through its MVP leader, and slowing him down is easier said than done.“A lot of that is that Shai doesn’t miss, so hopefully we can prevent him from shooting mid-range shots,” Redick explained. He pointed out the layers around him too, noting how players like Jalen Williams add pressure from similar spots on the floor. “But we’ve got to be able to both guard our yard and also do a good job of protecting the paint.”There is also a bigger concern. Redick highlighted their ability to swing games in minutes through defensive stops and quick scoring bursts. “I don’t think you have the luxury of worrying about that, because the game can get away from you so quick because of how explosive they are when they go on their runs.”For the Lakers, the margin feels thin. Without Doncic, against a team that has already handled them with ease, the path forward demands precision.
