Lakers Coach JJ Redick’s Inspirational Message to the Team
On a Saturday morning,湖人教练JJ Redick在与替补后卫Gabe Vincent的谈话中提到了即将到来的季后赛前的比赛：“我们的球员意识到我们现在正处于为了季后赛席位而战的激烈竞争中。” Lakers players glanced around the meeting room,彼此核实，确保他们听到的“准备作战”和“愿意在场上拼尽全力”的话语确实出自Redick之口。After the Lakers secured a commanding 123-100 victory over Denver, one of their best wins of the season, Redick, still charged with energy, continued to emphasize the importance of maintaining this level of intensity.
The Impact of Redick’s Rousing Words
"我们说，’我们要上战场’那晚，”前锋Rui Hachimura回忆道。Redick赛后对球队说：“如果我们能在剩下的常规赛中一直这样努力，我们一定会没事的。这场胜利应该增强你们的信心。它增强了我的信心，关于我们可以实现的目标。” Lakers players were visibly motivated by Redick’s fiery speech, and it showed in their performance against the Nuggets. The team’s collective effort and determination highlighted the coach’s belief that the Lakers can rise to the occasion when it matters most.
A Busy Schedule Ahead
幸运的是，湖人队接下来的比赛日程中不会有很多低谷。The team starts a stretch of crucial games on Tuesday when they host the Dallas Mavericks, marking the first meeting between the two franchises since the Lakers惊人地交易来了Luka Doncic。Following Tuesday’s game, the Lakers will face Minnesota, the Clippers twice, New Orleans, and New York during a six-game homestand that will lead them into the final month of the regular season. Since their 0-2 Texas trip in early January, the Lakers have been exceptional in big games, losing only once to a team with a winning record, the Clippers. Since that loss, they have won seven consecutive games against teams currently with winning records.
Preparing for the Emotional Reunion
Dorian Finney-Smith表示：“我觉得他会很兴奋，但队里的每个人都很兴奋。”谈及Doncic即将面对他的老东家独行侠队。The expectation is that Doncic and the team will once again summon extra energy for the Mavericks. “I think he’s going to be fine. I think he’s going to be fine,” Redick said on Monday. “Every day that he’s been with us, it’s becoming a little more normal. I’ve been there. The first time you play your old team, particularly this close in time duration, it’s going to be weird. But he’ll be OK.” Redick’s support and encouragement are crucial as Doncic navigates this emotional milestone.
The Importance of Maintaining Intensity
即将到来的11场比赛中的9场将是对阵胜率超过50%的球队，这对湖人来说是一段高强度的赛程。Redick, however, is confident that the Lakers have what it takes to meet these challenges head-on. “There’s certainly a feel to it, of when to press and when not to press,” Redick explained. “I would say for me, personally, like watching Dallas’ stuff yesterday, watching some of their games. My kids had their semifinals and finals in a travel tournament that I was at. A lot of time watching basketball yesterday. And I couldn’t wait to come to work today. I can’t wait for tomorrow. And I’ll be excited for Wednesday. That’s just, for me personally, how I know I’m doing the right thing right now. And this is what I thought it would be. And my own sustainability, I’m not worried about that.”
Looking Forward to the Challenges
As a coach, Redick is acutely aware of the need to gauge the team’s energy and vibe, knowing when to push and when to back off. “But, we’re preparing. Our guys recognize we’re in a dogfight for playoff seeding right now. We’re preparing for the playoffs and everything we do over the next 27 games.” Finney-Smith added, “Just gotta stick together. We’ve been stepping up to the challenge, but that’s part of being a pro is playing every game the same, so we definitely gotta work on that. But we’ve been playing hard the last couple of weeks, we gotta keep it going. We just gotta stack wins, try to be the better team going into this last stretch of the season.” The Lakers are determined to maintain their momentum and make a strong push for a favorable playoff position.
