The Lakers also win without Doncic: "We are a very united group"
JJ Redick has drawn collective strength after the franchise's victory in Los Angeles against the Detroit Pistons without its star player.
Los Angeles Lakers passed a significant test without Luka Doncic and defeated the Detroit Pistons 121-116 on Sunday at the Crypto.com Arena. The Slovenian point guard could not participate due to discomfort in the lower back, and JJ Redick decided not to take risks to prevent the physical issue from worsening. His absence allowed Austin Reaves to step up, leading the Los Angeles offense with an outstanding performance of 43 points.
The victory allowed the Lakers to remain at the top of the Western Conference with a record of nine wins and two losses. Now, the team faces a demanding week with three consecutive away games against the Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Phoenix Suns. Before starting this road trip, Redick wanted to emphasize the unity that the locker room has achieved after the deep renovation of the roster during the past summer and the departure of LeBron James.
Redick highlights the group's chemistry
“I think we are already a very united group,” the coach began explaining. Redick, however, reminded that the ability to overcome difficulties is not built overnight. “You don’t become a resilient team in ten games, or five, or twenty. It takes a full season to develop that ability and, hopefully, make it to the playoffs. That’s where everything you’ve built during the season is truly tested.”
The coach finds it encouraging that his players have already shown that strength at the beginning of the season. “The fact that we are such a united group and that we have already demonstrated the ability to overcome difficulties is exciting and promising,” he added.
Redick also wanted to temper expectations and reminded that the team still needs time to reach its best version. “I insist, I’m not saying this lightly: we all want good results. This will be a long process and it will take time for us to become a great basketball team.”
The comeback against Detroit, an example of their character
The coach was pleased with the response of his players against the Pistons. The Lakers found themselves far behind on the scoreboard from the very beginning, but they kept competing and ultimately made a comeback.
“I like how our players responded to adversity. Against the Pistons was a great example: we were down early, but we kept fighting,” Redick explained.
The coach also revealed the message he conveyed to the locker room during halftime. “I’m not mad if they are executing the plan and playing with intensity. Can we execute it a little better?” That was the question he posed to his players, whose response he considered positive. Redick noted that he also saw a good reaction in some actions from the fourth quarter.
Doncic took the lead during the preseason
The unity highlighted by the coach has also been one of Luka Doncic's priorities. In his third year with the Lakers and after the roster renewal, the Slovenian took the initiative to organize a preseason camp in his country, Slovenia. The goal was to strengthen the group's chemistry and help the new teammates get to know each other better.
So far, the results support the work of the Angelenos, who have won nine of their first 11 games. However, there is still a long season ahead to determine if the team has what it takes to compete for the NBA championship.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los Lakers también ganan sin Doncic: "Somos un grupo muy unido"
