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Redick admits mistake, warns Lakers bench: be ready or sit
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- Redick admits mistake, warns Lakers bench: be ready or sit
Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick says he will stop handing late minutes to reserves who aren't ready for them. Bronny James and the end of the bench let the Toronto Raptors cut a 15-point lead to five in Sunday's 131-125 win. The Lakers (5-2) host the Miami Heat on Monday night, so the first test of that promise comes quickly.
Luka Dončić had 45 points and a season-high 15 rebounds, and the Lakers led by as many as 26. Redick pulled his stars with the game seemingly won.
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Toronto's reserves then went on a run that included three three-pointers from Jamison Battle and a turnover by James on an inbounds pass. James finished scoreless and minus-11 in two minutes, and Redick had to send his starters back out.
Redick put the blame on himself first
The coach did not hide behind his young players. After the game, he said, "I won't make that mistake again," and added that any player who isn't ready to compete until the final buzzer simply won't play in those situations.
He still praised 44 minutes of strong basketball. In his view, the closing stretch was the exception, not the rule.
Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick says he will stop handing late minutes to reserves who aren't ready for them.Allen J. Schaben / Getty Images
Los Angeles committed 24 turnovers, and Toronto turned them into 30 points. Redick credited the Raptors for fouling on every possession , but the number is a problem on its own. The Lakers also let a 25-point lead slip in Friday's 112-95 loss at Golden State. Two games with big leads going sideways in three days is a pattern worth fixing.
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Athlon Sports reports that Redick was also bothered by how his team handled open looks created by Dončić's passing.
He counted four wide-open threes that players turned down in the second half. Redick said, "You gotta shoot the ball when you're open," and he called it a "new group" issue. That suggests chemistry, not talent, is the gap. Players such as Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler are still learning where Dončić will deliver the ball.
The Heat will show whether anything has changed
Miami is 2-4, so this is a game Los Angeles should control. Watch two things. First, how long Redick keeps Dončić and the other starters in once the lead gets comfortable. Second, whether James and the other reserves see the floor at all in the final three minutes. A tighter leash on the bench would confirm the message was real.
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The larger question is how much Redick can lean on the deep end of his roster this early in the season. Rotations get tested by moments like Sunday's, and his answer tonight will tell you whether he trusts those players or plans to protect them.
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This story was originally published by Lindy's Sports on Nov 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Lindy's Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
