"JJ Redick went full Darvin Ham"- Lakers fans fuming after HC doesn't call timeout for 2 minutes after Anthony Davis gets hurt
JJ Redick's decision to avoid calling a timeout during the first quarter of the Lakers' 134-110 loss against the Cavaliers didn't sit well with Lakers fans. It even reminded some of former coach Darvin Ham's tendencies. The incident happened after Anthony Davis was grimacing in pain after taking a hit. The Lakers were down 20-15 and conceded back-to-back 3s with Davis still down.
Redick not calling timeout at that point left many confused. Lakers fans, meanwhile, were likening him to Ham.
"JJ Redick went full Darvin Ham mode while AD was writhing in pain. Went 2 minutes before calling timeout," one X user wrote.
"What was JJ thinking? He's ok playing multiple posessions 4v5?" added another.
"I guess Ham wouldn’t be the only coach to not use his TOs," one user wrote.
One fan accused Redick of 'embarrassing' Davis, saying:
"I was so confused, was he making a point ? Or trying to embarrass AD?"
"trying to be too cool… just call the freakin timeout," wrote another.
"The game was over rite after that happened," another fan said.
JJ Redick's decision not to call that timeout may have proved pivotal. The Lakers lost the game there after the Cavliers went on a massive run to end the quarter 42-23. LA kept playing chase after that but couldn't string a game-changing run together. The other three quarters were very closely contested, so some timely decisions could have saved the day for the Lakers.
However, the Lakers had already taken a timeout seconds before Anthony Davis struggled with pain, forcing Redick to retain his timeout.
JJ Redick sounds off after Lakers' biggest loss under him
The Lakers started 3-0, but with two consecutive losses, the pressure is up again on JJ Redick. A 24-point loss against Cleveland has only made things tougher. Redick sounded off on the result, suggesting the Lakers committed too many mistakes that destroyed their chances of securing their first road win.
"When you play a good basketball team, you can't make that many mistakes," Redick said.
The Lakers committed a season-high 20 turnovers, conceding 31 points off them. They're already struggling with transition defense, so the lack of discipline offensively only hurt them more.
LA was getting beat in the paint and on second-chance points, struggling to cope with the Cavaliers' frontcourt size. A poor 3-point shooting rate also hindered the Lakers as they shot a measly 6 of 28, while Cleveland made 17 of 41 shots from deep.