The Lakers returning home from their brutal road trip was met with a collective sigh of relief.
The week of games away from LA originally looked like a test for a side that was gelling after the Luka Dončić trade. However, injuries immediately derailed the trip to the point that the Lakers were left with a patchwork squad in Friday’s loss to the Nuggets.
Sunday was seen as a reset of sorts. But, as is often the case in returning from road trips, teams can relax a bit too much. They often become a fairly predictable trap game.
All that perspective is needed to add context to just how impressive the Lakers’ performance was on Sunday. Not only did they avoid the trap game, they came out the aggressor, setting the tone against the Suns from the opening tip and earning a win.
After the game, head coach JJ Redick could not hold back, showering his side with praise for their approach to the win.
“It is very abnormal for a team to come back from an East Coast trip and that next game,” Redick said, “a day after the trip, come out with more energy than the other team and play harder than the other team. On top of that, we had a back-to-back and we lost a crushing game on Friday night. Our locker room, it was dispiriting to lose that game. It was disheartening and for our guys to come back with an early start and be the harder-playing team from the beginning, that, to me, says everything about our group.
“On top of that, this was such a different game than anything we’ve played recently and it was particularly like polar opposites of the Denver game in terms of game plan, in terms of what we were trying to get offensively. It was just two very different games and they were able to execute in Denver, they were able to execute tonight…Again, just the transition from one thing to the next, coming off four losses, our group was phenomenal.”
It’s a point that’s been made previously this season, but it’s so nice to see the Lakers be the team with this type of approach this season compared to years prior.
How many times over the last three or four years did the team come out flat in a game, credit the other team for playing harder because they’re playing the Lakers and then move on? Too many to count.
It’s a testament to Redick and his coaching staff that this team doesn’t have that approach to any game. It’s also a byproduct of having players like Gabe Vincent, Jordan Goodwin, Jarred Vanderbilt, Dorian Finney-Smith and Trey Jemison. Those archetypes of players come into every game and play hard, if nothing else.
Effort can cover up for mistakes and it’s also something that can be controlled at all times. This Lakers team brings a high level of energy night in and night out. Execution might come and go, but it’s rare when they have a low energy or effort night.
Among the many changes Redick has brought, this one might be the most welcome.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
