JJ Redick Frustrated by Officiating After Lakers Fall to Clippers
The Los Angeles Lakers ran into a familiar wall at Crypto.com Arena, dropping a 103-88 decision to the Clippers in a game that left head coach JJ Redick visibly frustrated - not just with the result, but with the officiating.
Already short-handed due to injuries - including Luka Doncic, who exited at halftime with a leg contusion - the Lakers struggled to keep pace. But Redick’s postgame comments made it clear that in his view, the officiating didn’t do them any favors either.
Redick Sounds Off on Officiating Consistency
Redick didn’t hold back when addressing what he sees as a growing issue with officiating inconsistency across the league. Speaking to reporters, he emphasized that his frustration isn’t about any one official or crew - it’s about a lack of clarity and communication from the league itself.
“The consistency needs to be addressed, and it will be,” Redick said. “Any coach, any player - what we ask for is consistency. That’s not to single any official out… We need to know what it is night to night.”
Redick also highlighted a broader concern: the lack of feedback from the NBA when coaches attempt to engage through official channels. According to him, he’s submitted multiple pieces of feedback through the league’s coaching system, but hasn’t received any responses.
“I keep asking the league to please reach out to me and respond… I don’t get any response. Nobody ever reaches out to me.”
For Redick, the frustration goes beyond a single game. It’s about the shifting definitions of what’s challengeable and what isn’t - a moving target that makes it hard for coaches to know what to expect from one night to the next.
“The way we do challenges and the definitions of challenges… it’s different with every different crew,” he said. “We’re supposed to have some level of consistency. And the definitions just get changed every single night.”
The Challenge That Wasn’t
One moment in particular seemed to push Redick over the edge.
Late in the game, he attempted to challenge a play where it appeared a foul occurred just before the ball went out of bounds. However, the officials told him he couldn’t challenge that specific part of the sequence - something Redick strongly disagreed with.
“Josh [Tiven] came to me and said, ‘I don’t want you to waste your challenge, but there’s a chance that it’s two separate plays,’” Redick explained. “I’ve seen this happen where somebody’s trying to box a guy out, gets fouled, somebody goes over the back… I’ve seen that challenged, and I’ve seen that work.”
Redick's argument was simple: if a foul leads directly to the ball going out of bounds, it’s part of the same play. To him, calling it two separate actions was, in his words, “an insane definition.”
“The ball is part of the play. The ball got loose because of the charge, and then it was deflected. It’s not two separate plays.”
A Frustration That’s Been Building
Redick’s frustration isn’t coming out of nowhere. The Lakers are one of the league’s top teams at drawing fouls, but Redick believes that reputation may be working against them when it comes to how games are called.
And the Lakers aren’t alone. Around the league, players and coaches have voiced similar concerns about officiating inconsistency and the lack of clarity on what can and can’t be challenged.
Whether the NBA addresses Redick’s concerns remains to be seen, but his comments echo a broader sentiment that’s been bubbling beneath the surface all season: teams want transparency, and they want accountability - not just from players and coaches, but from officials too.
Finding Positives Amid the Frustration
Despite the loss and the officiating controversy, Redick hasn’t lost sight of the progress his team is making - especially on the defensive end. He pointed to the Lakers’ recent win over the Jazz as an example of how this group is learning to weather early adversity and respond with toughness.
That game saw the Lakers stumble out of the gate, only to regroup and lock in defensively in the second half - a sign that Redick’s message is getting through.
He’s not shy about holding his players accountable, but he’s just as quick to give credit when it’s earned. And while the loss to the Clippers was a setback, the bigger picture is still in play. Redick is demanding consistency - from his players, from the officials, and from the league itself.
For now, the Lakers will look to regroup and get healthy. But don’t expect Redick to let the officiating issue slide. He’s made it clear: he’s going to keep pushing for answers.