JJ Redick hits LA with ‘work in progress’ truth bomb after Magic loss
Battles between Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic at Cripto.com Arena tend to go down, and their contest on Tuesday night was no different. The Magic eventually prevailed, however – with a layup by Wendell Carter Jr. proving to be the difference in a 110-109 loss.
It looked like the Lakers had some momentum in the fourth, but their defense couldn’t make the runs they needed when they needed them. They took a 109-108 lead after LeBron James found space for a nice dunk on a lazy defensive possession, but were unable to get a defensive stop as Orlando got the possession back after mid-range miss by Paolo Bancheropaving the way for Carter’s game-winner.
The Lakers still had a chance to win, but Luka Doncic twice missed open three-point attempts to win the game, which led to James making a difficult conversion for the game-winning shot, which he missed.
After the game, the head coach JJ Redick summed up situation for the Lakers as they fell to 34-23 on the season.
“It’s a work in progress,” Redick said in his postgame presser, via @ohnohedidnt24 on X (formerly Twitter).
JJ Redick: “Work in Progress” pic.tvitter.com/Vjd9KZoIIk
— Oh no, it’s not (@ohnohedidnt24) February 25, 2026
The Lakers defense needs a lot of work
The Lakers’ defense has been so good over the last few months of the 2024-25 season, but that hasn’t carried over at all into this current campaign. Deandre Ayton is dealing with bouts of lethargy, Doncic and Austin Reaves have their shortcomings on that end of the floor, James is old, and the team still lacks the talent to build a solid defensive infrastructure.
They currently rank 24 in the NBA in defensive rating, allowing 116.6 points per 100 possessions. The Lakers may need another year or two before maxing out the roster around Doncic.
2026-02-25 07:25:00
