"Your voice" - JJ Redick shares honest thoughts with LeBron James on what he misses the most about him

The LA Lakers have managed to string together two consecutive victories, but this comes after suffering a three-game skid following LeBron James’ groin injury during their loss to the Boston Celtics earlier this month.

Though the Lakers are back in the win column, coach JJ Redick admitted the squad still feels the absence of the four-time champion, particularly on the defensive end.

According to Lakers beat writer LoJo Media on X (formerly Twitter), Redick shared that he told James exactly how much his defensive leadership is missed.

"You know who we miss? We miss your voice on the defensive end," Redick reportedly told James.

Since James’ injury, Redick has consistently emphasized his desire for the Lakers to defend as a collective unit.

With James — who co-hosted a basketball podcast with Redick during the offseason — in the lineup, the Lakers had become a defensive force after acquiring Luka Doncic. Even after trading away their defensive anchor, Anthony Davis, they maintained one of the league’s top defensive ratings.

LeBron James and fellow starter Rui Hachimura are both expected to make their returns sometime next week.

JJ Redick: LeBron James unlikely to participate in full practice before return

Having missed multiple games, LeBron James’ absence has forced LA to lean on Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, who have led the Lakers to back-to-back wins. But with James’ return on the horizon, the offense will once again need to adjust.

Redick said, however, that due to the jam-packed schedule, both James and Hachimura will likely be reinserted into game action without the benefit of a full practice.

“Very unlikely that there’s stay-ready games for Rui and LeBron,” Redick told reporters on Monday (per Lakers Nation).

“I’d have to look at the next three weeks, but very unlikely they practice. I think there’s a practice in April. That’s just the reality of playing every other day. Even if we do do something on the court, there’s not gonna be any live contact in between game days.”

The Lakers remain in a battle for playoff positioning in a tight Western Conference race. Currently sitting at No. 4 with a 42-25 record, LA could still climb as high as No. 2 or drop as far as No. 8.