JJ Redick is expected to help the Los Angeles Lakers embark on a deep playoff run this season. Unfortunately for the rookie head coach, those expectations are unavoidable when you have LeBron James and Anthony Davis on your roster.

Furthermore, Redick is expected to implement a long-term project for Los Angeles, helping them become less reliant on the trade market to compete.

However, former NBA guard Jeff Teague doesn’t believe the Lakers have the necessary pieces to be championship contenders.

“I don’t like the way the roster is set up with D’Angelo Russell on that team,” Teague said via his “Club 520 Podcast.” “Rui Hachimura is a good player. I like him on that team but don’t like him as a focal point and starter. I like him off the bench getting buckets. They just need some more solid role players. Maybe some more veterans or I don’t know. For now, I don’t like the Lakers.”

Los Angeles started the season strong. They looked sharper on offense and committed on the defensive end. Redick’s commitment to details and advanced stats looked like they were paying early dividends. However, a 1-4 road trip has seen some of the gloss come off the Lakers. Suddenly, they’re ninth in the Western Conference, three games behind the Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder.

There’s no denying the Lakers are a playoff team. They have enough high-end talent and reliable depth to make it that far.

However, it’s tough to say they can make a deep run, especially as currently constructed.

Teague knows what it takes to compete in the NBA. He was in the league for 12 years, winning a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.

As such, his comments deserve consideration. But for the Lakers, they will undoubtedly want to prove him wrong. Whether they’re capable of doing so is something we will have to wait and see, at least until after the Feb. 6 trade deadline.