Lakers at the Top, With Internal Caveats
The Los Angeles Lakers are tied for the best record in the NBA, according to an LA Times report published Nov. 14, 2026. The standing arrives with an internal caveat. Coach JJ Redick and his staff keep returning to the same unresolved areas.
Those areas are rebounding, defense and turnovers. The report states the coaching staff continues to point them out as problems even as the team sits level with the league's leading record.
What the Staff Is Pointing At
Rebounding and defense are about ending possessions. Turnovers are about not surrendering them early. The staff's message groups all three under the same heading: possessions the Lakers are not converting into control.
Analysis: these are structural issues rather than shooting issues. A missed box-out or a live-ball turnover hands the opponent an extra trip down the floor, and that cost shows up in the possession count before it shows up in the score. A team can hold the league's best record while losing that exchange.
Redick on the Sideline
The report's accompanying photograph shows Redick slapping hands with forward Ziaire Williams as Williams came off the court during a timeout. It is the ordinary sideline exchange that marks how the staff manages rotations during stoppages.
The report does not detail specific lineup changes, rotation adjustments or which players the staff considers most responsible for the rebounding and turnover problems.
What to Watch
Whether the emphasis on rebounding, defense and turnovers produces visible changes in how the Lakers close possessions. The report offers no timeline and no stated targets, only the staff's continued public focus on the same three categories.
The original report was published by sports.yahoo.com.
