TORONTO — The Lakers’ physicality – or lack of it – has been a consistent talking point after each of their five losses so far this season.
Monday’s home loss to the Phoenix Suns was no different. The Lakers addressed the issue during their Wednesday afternoon practice ahead of their East Coast trip that starts with Thursday’s matchup against the Toronto Raptors.
The game against the Raptors will be the first night of a back-to-back set, followed by Friday’s matchup against the Boston Celtics and Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
“They know what we mean by physicality,” Coach JJ Redick said. “They face it with certain teams. They’ve done it. We’ve shown it. It’s part of the habit thing that we have to build for us to be a great team eventually. We have to be physical in everything we do.”
Redick mentioned that physicality can show itself in many ways, including but not limited to how frequently the team commits fouls or the screens it sets to create advantages offensively.
“We had six fouls in the first half the other night,” Redick recalled. “We had one foul in the fourth quarter, and it was a take foul that we had to use to get somebody out of the game. So [there are] markers for that. The physicality is on both ends as well. Typically, if you’re turning the ball over, you’re not being physical on the offensive end. So you can certainly look at stats, but you can see it and feel it when we’re not being physical.”
Lakers players have noticed the trend through the first quarter of the season, which lines up with Marcus Smart’s motto of the tougher teams setting the rules for how the game will be played.
“It’s kind of like a trend in our losses. When we’re not a more physical team, we struggle a little bit more to be able to win the game,” Jake LaRavia said. “If we come out from the jump and we’re the more physical team, we set the tone, we’re running faster [and] we’re playing harder, then that’s how you win games.”
The focus on game-to-game physicality is part of the Lakers’ emphasis on being a process-oriented team rather than a results-focused one in light of their 15-5 record through 20 games.
“You want good results, for sure, but I think the building [of] the habits of doing it over and over again, that part of it can be a little frustrating for everybody,” Redick said. “Because it can seem like, ‘Oh, we’re winning,’ and it’s great. But I think we all, coaching staff, players, they know when it’s not the right way, and we all want it to be the right way, so we’ll keep working towards.”
Redick said this year’s team is ahead of last year’s group when it comes to focusing on the results.
“In terms of 20 games in, they’re embracing it better than last year,” Redick said. “They also, particularly for the guys that have been here, they intuitively now understand what we mean by that. And I think that’s a clearer way of doing things. We didn’t probably build that, particularly on the defensive end, like our process on the defensive end until January or February of last year, and I think we’re ahead of that now.”
Redick also pointed out the Lakers’ defensive woes, with the team’s 115.3 defensive rating ranking 18th in the league entering their trip.”
“Our defense is not very good,” Redick said. “We’re basically average to slightly below average. So still got a lot of work to do on that end.
SMART UPDATE
Redick said reserve guard Marcus Smart, who has been sidelined for the last three games and had his injury designation changed to lower back injury management, went through an individual workout on Wednesday and wasn’t a participant in the Lakers’ practice in Toronto.
His status for Thursday wasn’t known as of Wednesday afternoon, but he continues to be “day-to-day”, per Redick.
LAKERS AT RAPTORS
When: Thursday, 4:30 p.m. PT
Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
TV/Radio: Spectrum SportsNet/710 AM