It looks like JJ Redick’s 2026 resolution is the blunt truth. He took the headstart on it from Christmas. The Lakers have lost four of their last five games, and things just aren’t looking good. After a turnover-heavy blowout 128-106 loss to the Detroit Pistons, Redick didn’t spare his team’s blushes.

The Pistons outclassed the Lakers in every statistical contest and left the Lakers’ nonexistent defense in shambles. As Detroit emerges as the top seed in the East, Redick commended the franchise’s long-standing identity as tough defenders.

When asked what the current Lakers squad’s identity is, Redick wasn’t even sure there is one. “Still trying to figure that out,” he says admits it sounded like a “cop-out.”

Losing the last game of 2025 was a bitter pill to swallow, but Redick said the players and the coaching staff “really tried to play the right way every night and have the right intent.”

The right way and right intent have brought them to a 20-10 record, and something’s got to work. JJ Redick’s got to go back to the drawing board to make a depleted roster work.

JJ Redick has very little reassurance on the Lakers’ identity

Right after losing to the Kevin Durant-led Houston Rockets on Christmas Day, JJ Redick created some discomfort by claiming the Lakers have lost their “championship habits.” He also said, “Since we’ve gotten Bron back, we haven’t been as organized offensively.”

Most felt he’s blaming LeBron James, who had a delayed start to the season from sciatica, when the problems existed before that. Most jarringly in the Lakers’ defense. The team’s injury woes compounded the problems. They’ve had spells without Marcus Smart, Gabe Vincent, Deandre Ayton, and now Austin Reaves is on an extended absence.

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Redick worked around AR’s absence with a new strategy, pulling out Doncic before a quarter against the Sacramento Kings ended on Monday. It seemed to work in their favor.

Against Detroit, Redick debuted his 16th lineup change of the season, putting Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia in the starting lineup. Both scored single digits. Most of the team, in fact, was nowhere near as productive as Luka Doncic and LeBron James.

Redick claims, “The flow of lineups and rotations and all that has been challenging for everybody, not just the coaches. It’s just a challenge for the players, and building an identity is difficult.” But LakeShow on social media contends that’s the case with any team. It doesn’t explain why the Lakers still committed 15 turnovers, gave up 30 points, and scored only half of the points in the paint and fastbreak than what the Pistons had.

The biggest question right now is when the Lakers find their identity. Redick, in his second year as a coach, claims that the team didn’t find their identity till late January and had to find it again with Luka Doncic and no  Anthony Davis.

That may not be as reassuring as he wants to make it sound. Especially when he brought up a meeting with Phil Jackson. “I remember a meeting I had with Phil [Jackson] last year, pretty early in the season, and he said, ‘You know, I always felt like I knew who my team was by Thanksgiving.’ I think that’s hard to figure out with this team right now. So, yeah.”

By Thanksgiving, the Lakers had held off the Dallas Mavericks and ruined Anthony Davis’ first game back in Crypto.com Arena. They were also strong contenders for the NBA Cup. That’s not the same team right now, and something’s got to give.