JJ Redick RIPS Lakers Players by Name After Thrashing by OKC

Luka Doncic was out. Austin Reaves was out. LeBron James was out. Marcus Smart was out. What exactly did head coach JJ Redick think was going to happen? After his LA Lakers got thrashed by the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder by 36 points, Redick laced into his players, one by one, after the game.

JJ Redick went IN on his players after Los Angeles’ 123-87 LOSS vs. OKC Thunder:

“He’s had trouble catching the ball,” Redick said of DeAndre Ayton.

“Rui wasn’t doing his job,” Redick said of Rui Hachimura.

“I called a timeout to take him out the game,” Redick said of… pic.twitter.com/nq8HCeDayk
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) April 8, 2026

Of center Deandre Ayton, who is having the worst year of his eight-year career, Redick said, “He’s had trouble catching the ball."

Ayton played just 23 minutes, went 1-for-4 from the field, had just three rebounds, and was a minus-26. This wasn't the first time that Ayton had his playing time affected by poor play. Back in February, Redick benched him after the defensively challenged center gave up three straight layups in a game.

As for Rui Hachimura, Redick said "I just called an early timeout because Rui didn't do his job." He finished with a minus-24, though he did go 7-for-10 from the field.

And on Jarred Vanderbilt, who played just five minutes in the game and was a minus-4 before being pulled, Redick said, "I called a timeout to get him out of the game.”

The Lakers have lost three in a row, and are now tied for the 4th and 5th seed in the Western Conference, leaving them on the verge of losing home court advantage in the first round. They've also watched the Denver Nuggets, on a nine-game win streak, soar past them for third place in the conference.

LA will have trouble down the stretch and in the first round of the playoffs. But it won't be because of inconsistent play by Ayton, Hachimura or Vanderbilt. Clearly, the absence of Dončić is the biggest concern for this team. He is out for at least the remainder of the regular season with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. Whether he makes it back for some of the first round of the postseason is up in the air.

Reaves, the team's second-leading scorer, is also out for the rest of the regular season, and likely the whole first round of the playoffs as well, due to a Grade 2 oblique strain.

James is dealing with left foot soreness, and was declared out just hours before the game on Tuesday night. His absence is day-to-day. There are three games remaining in the regular season.