The Los Angeles Lakers are already sitting at 5-2, good for fourth in the Western Conference through seven games, and they’re flashing serious offensive firepower with the league’s third-ranked offense. You’d think that would have head coach JJ Redick high-fiving everyone, but nope, he’s still out here preaching patience. Seriously? With that kind of start, you’d expect some swagger, but Redick is staying grounded, saying it’s all part of a bigger process.
Early Season Wins and Redick’s Long Game
Look, the Lakers have been on a bit of a friendly schedule run, which definitely helps pad those early stats. But you can’t deny the numbers: a 5-2 record, that killer third-ranked offense, and even their seventh-best net rating at plus-7.5, according to Cleaning the Glass. Their defense is chilling at 18th, though, so maybe that’s the patience angle. Redick is really leaning into this idea that building a championship contender isn’t a sprint. He laid it out plain after their recent loss to the Golden State Warriors: “We want to become a great team. You don’t become a great team in six games. We want to become a great team after 82 games and have a chance to go compete for a championship in April and May and June. It’s a process to get there.” He’s saying they’re going to be patient, but also that they need to do the work. More games, more walkthroughs, more film, more practice , Redick thinks all that will make them better.
New Faces and a Gauntlet Ahead
It makes some sense, though. This Lakers squad isn’t the same group from last season. They overhauled a ton of the rotation in free agency, bringing in three new starters. That’s a lot of fresh faces trying to gel. Redick knows this team needs a long runway to hit its stride. Good news for now: their schedule stays pretty light over the next few weeks, even with a few postseason hopefuls sprinkled in. The Detroit Pistons on Sunday, on the road, should be a decent test though. But the real gut-check? That comes from late November to late December. We’re talking matchups against the San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets (twice), Denver Nuggets (twice), and Minnesota Timberwolves (twice). That brutal stretch is gonna tell us everything we need to know about where this Lakers team really stands.
It’s a long haul, and Redick is banking on all those shared games, film sessions, and practices to speed up their journey to becoming the championship team they want to be. The next chance to see if that process is working is Sunday against the Pistons.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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