EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The questions came in rapid succession to Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton, following L.A.’s first practice since a disappointing Christmas Day loss to the Houston Rockets that caused Lakers coach JJ Redick to publicly rebuke his team’s effort.
How was the energy of the group? Was what needed to be said actually said? And how was it received?
“Hold on. Hold on. Hold on,” Ayton said. “That’s a lot. You’re bombarding me with a lot.”
The Lakers have had more questions than answers lately, currently on a three-game losing streak to extend their slump to six defeats in their last 10 games. And all 10 of their losses this season have been by 10 points or more.
Making matters worse, starting guard Austin Reaves was diagnosed with a pulled calf after an MRI on Friday and is expected to be sidelined for four weeks.
All of which was the backdrop as the team regrouped Saturday for what Redick had promised would be an “uncomfortable” meeting to get back on track.
After the Lakers were finished with that meeting and rare lengthy practice on Saturday, Redick appeared considerably more subdued when speaking reporters than he was after the Rockets loss.
“Myself, I’m always going to look in the mirror first,” the second-year coach said. “And I think it’s easy as a player, as a coach to say, ‘It’s this guy’s fault,’ or, ‘We’re not doing this because X, Y, and Z.'”
Was it uncomfortable?
“The truth is uncomfortable,” Redick said, “and so you have to put everything out there, that’s all it is.”
Rather than finger pointing, Redick said it was a day of “recalibration and reconnection” for his team that still sits No. 4 in the Western Conference standings despite the slide.
“We had a great meeting as a staff this morning,” Redick said. “Came in super early and we met with the players and it was very positive and it was also listening. It was also for our staff, myself, to listen to the players and what they need.”
Starting forward Rui Hachimura – one of three players who declined to speak after the Houston game, along with LeBron James and Marcus Smart – spoke to reporters Saturday about those needs.
“We just talked about everybody — players, coaches — we just got to kind of tighten up,” Hachimura said. “We had a good stretch in the beginning, and now we kind of, I don’t know, we relaxed. Or we kind of got tired of winning. But we just stopped doing what we’re supposed to do.”
James and Smart declined to speak again Saturday.
Redick, who also called out several players for their repeated failures after the Rockets game without using any names, was asked if those players were told directly about the improvements he wanted to see from them.
“I think they are, and I think the group is aware,” Redick said. “The group feels it. They’re on the court together. They’re in the huddles together. …There wasn’t anything that needed to be addressed that wasn’t addressed.”
Redick said the team used Saturday to review the group goals it established at the outset of training camp and its commitment to championship habits.
And he sought to accomplish three things. “Defensive clarity, role clarity, and offensive organization,” Redick said.
Redick added that there have been too many “random possessions” on offense since James returned from a sciatica injury that sidelined him for the first 14 games of the season. L.A. has gone 8-5 in the 13 games the 23-year veteran has played this season.
Lakers center Deandre Ayton said he will take on a vocal leadership role on the defensive end.
“Holding my guys accountable, especially starting with me,” Ayton said. “No matter how the game is going, we stick to these principles no matter what. … This is how we’re going to play on defense – hard and [with] second efforts.”
Ayton admitted that L.A. lacked focused when it was out rebounded 48-25 by the Rockets – with Ayton, who averages 8.7 boards per game, only grabbing two in 36 minutes.
“That’s a simple error. It’s just really simple mistakes as in boxing out, second effort,” he said. “We just weren’t that focused on really trying to lock in and do the little details.”
Hachimura, for his part, said he knows what he must do to help the team get out of its rut.
“I have to be more focused on bringing the energy, being physical,” Hachimura said. “That kind of stuff is going to help.”
L.A. hosts the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, the first of four straight home games in the next week and a half.
“It’s adversity, it’s going to happen,” Ayton said. “And I just can’t wait to see how we bounce back from this.”