Former lottery pick Rashad McCants doesn’t grade on a curve.
The former North Carolina national champion went on “Gil’s Arena” on Tuesday and unloaded on the Los Angeles Lakers a day after they were swept out of the second round by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The 4-0 series exit didn’t sit right with McCants, and the way the Lakers lost it bothered him even more. He had a problem with JJ Redick, a problem with LeBron James, and props in hand to drive it all home.
Why Rashad McCants Blames JJ Redick for the Lakers’ Sweep
McCants set the visual before he opened his mouth. He donned a Lakers jersey, a gold chain big enough to spot from space, a Super Nintendo World Bowser plush hat, and a broom in his hand.
He then started his criticism.
“All we know is they got swept… with this broom,” McCants said. “We know that the first round wasn’t no sweep. The first round was, if LeBron gets them out of the first round against Houston, he’s gotta be the GOAT, right?”
The Lakers and James fought hard to take down Houston without their top two scorers. Luka Dončić missed the postseason with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, and Austin Reaves missed the first four games against the Rockets with a Grade 2 oblique strain before returning in Game 5.
However, when Oklahoma City came around, the Lakers didn’t fight it out the way they were supposed to, per McCants.
“JJ Redick, you have 100-plus wins two years as a coach… OKC didn’t do nothing special to prove that the Lakers couldn’t have competed and won 2 games, and win 3 games, because they didn’t execute. They didn’t do basketball sh*t, because they’re not a good coached team.”
LeBron’s individual season got the same treatment. McCants graded the 41-year-old’s 23rd campaign a C.
“I expect more from somebody that’s chasing the GOAT,” McCants said. “It’s the highest standard you can be compared to… There’s no rest, there’s no excuses, there’s no lack of accountability.”
The numbers from Monday’s Game 4 support part of McCants’ point, but also undercut it. The Lakers played their best game of the series.
They led after the first quarter. They led entering the fourth as well. The Lakers shot 51% from the field and 36% from three and outrebounded OKC 37-34.
But the turnover battle is where everything fell apart.
LA coughed it up 19 times to OKC’s 11. Reaves alone accounted for 8 of the turnovers.
James finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds while Reaves added 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored a series-high 35 for the Thunder. Ajay Mitchell added 28 on 12-of-19 shooting in another huge spot start for the injured Jalen Williams.
The Thunder are now 8-0 in the playoffs and headed to a second straight Western Conference Finals.
This was the fourth time James has been swept in a playoff series and the second in four years after Denver did it in the 2023 conference finals.
