Head coach JJ Redick admits that the 2025-26 Los Angeles Lakers are still trying to find their identity after a 129-106 blowout loss to the Detroit Pistons. Redick spent time berating the Pistons for fouling on nearly every defensive possession, as the Lakers coach stated during his postgame media availabilty.
As for the Lakers' identity, Redick says it's still a work in progress, despite being 31 games into the regular season.
Still trying to figure that out. And I know that it's maybe a cop out. Probably is, but I do know that we have had a lot of stops and starts, and we've tried to not just the staff was in our team, you know, the players, staff, everybody,” Redick said. “We really tried to play the right way every night and have the right intent, the flow of lineups and rotations, and all that has been challenging for everybody, not just the coaches; it's just a challenge for the players, and building an identity is difficult.”
Redick admits there's a contrast between last year's Lakers team, and this year's group.
“I think it's of our team last year and this team is different and our identity will eventually be different, but we didn't get that identity till late January, felt like, and then we had to shift again so I don't think it's unnatural,” Redick added. “I remember a meeting I had with Phil Jackson last year pretty early in the season and he said I always felt like I knew who my team was by Thanksgiving. I think that's hard to figure out with this team right now.”
The Lakers have lost four of their last five games, including blowout losses to the Houston Rockets (119-96), the Phoenix Suns (132-108), and the Pistons.
JJ Redick complains about the Pistons ‘fouling' in Lakers loss
Lakers head coach JJ Redick didn't hold back in criticizing the Pistons' defense for getting away with constantly fouling throughout Tuesday's 23-point loss. While Luka Doncic pointed toward limiting the Lakers' turnovers and LeBron James talked about matching the Pistons' physicality, Redick says their opponent constantly crossed the line into committing fouls.
“I think there's probably a level of frustration when you're turning the ball over and you're feeling like you're getting fouled,” Redick said. “There's frustration there, for sure. But I mean, again, I said it even here, we said it this morning: They're going to foul every possession. It's just, you got to play through it.”
The Pistons forced 20 Lakers turnovers.
“They're going to foul on every possession, probably three or four times,” Redick added. “And that's not a knock, I'm not saying it in a negative way, but they're going to foul three or four times on every possession. [And the officials are] not going to call a foul on every possession.”
The Lakers dropped to a 20-11, which is the fifth-best record in the Western Conference.
