When this NBA season began, most people didn’t think highly of the Los Angeles Lakers’ prospects. Plenty of national prognosticators felt the Lakers would end up participating in the play-in tournament, and some even felt the team would miss the playoffs.
But now, the Lakers are guaranteed at least the fourth seed in the Western Conference, despite being without at least one of their three stars for a good chunk of the season. They won their 52nd game of the campaign by defeating the Phoenix Suns, 101-73, on Friday, and they can finish with the third seed if they defeat the Utah Jazz on Sunday and if the Denver Nuggets lose to the San Antonio Spurs the same night.
After Friday’s win, coach JJ Redick reminded everyone of the low expectations most had for the Lakers months ago and that the Lakers have exceeded those expectations (h/t Fadeaway World).
“I would say I’m extremely proud of our team, our players, and our coaches for dealing with the entire NBA season,” Redick said, via The Sporting Tribune. “I think for maybe one or two teams a year, they don’t have a lot of ups and downs, and their rollercoaster is fairly flat, but for most every team in the NBA, your ability to bounce back from failure is the key to the aggregation of what your season is.
“You hope you can win 50+ games,” Redick continued. “And you hope you can get home court in the first round and be a top seed. I know none of you guys had us in the top four to start the season. That’s just the reality. Most people had us as a play-in team, or even worse.
“We’ve had to manage the expectations of the Lakers and also the negativity that just naturally surrounds every loss,” Redick added. “And I think our group has managed that well.”
In his two seasons as the Lakers’ coach, Redick has had to navigate his players through a number of on and off-court challenges. While some may still be skeptical that he’s the right man for the job, he has managed to mostly keep the team in one piece.
It may not have a great chance of getting past the first round of the playoffs against either the Houston Rockets or the Minnesota Timberwolves, but it will have a shot with the way LeBron James is playing. Getting past the first round in the state the team is currently in would certainly cause people around the league to raise their eyebrows and give Redick credit for the job he’s doing.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: JJ Redick: Most had Lakers as ‘play-in team, or even worse’
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
