Even though the holiday season has the streets of Los Angeles filled with cheer, Luka Dončić and the Lakers are hitting the midseason wall after ending November with a strong 15-4 record. Their recent three-game skid was exacerbated by the spotlight of the Christmas Night game on prime time.
From the opening tip in the Toyota Center, Amen Thompson’s athleticism took center stage as he attacked the rim with veracity. Not a single Laker possessed the defensive acumen to stop the surging 22-year-old. He finished the game with 26 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
We already knew the Lakers weren’t one of the best defensive teams, but their performance was objectively atrocious. Six Rockets would finish in double figures, including future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant.
After missing his first four shots, Durant finished the game with 25 points, four rebounds, and eight assists while shooting 54% from the field. Everyone expected that Houston’s two stars would put on a show for the residents of Los Angeles, but their starting lineup outplayed the entire Lakers’ roster.
The Rockets finished the game with 119 points, while the 17-time champions only scored 96. To add insult to injury (no pun intended), Austin Reaves suffered a Grade 2 Gastrocnemius strain during the loss and will be out for at least four weeks.
Uncomfortable Conversations
About ten minutes after the game concluded, Lakers forward Jake LaRavia addressed the media and claimed there’s a “disconnect” in the locker room. The rift is apparent, given their dreadful miscommunication and lackadaisical effort on both sides of the floor.
When asked about the team’s execution after the embarrassing loss, Head Coach JJ Redick admitted the Lakers “don’t care”.
“We just don’t care enough right now, that’s the part that bothers me a lot,” Redick said. “ We don’t care enough to do the things that are necessary. We don’t care enough to be a professional.”
It’s clear that the Lakers are slipping in terms of their discipline, and Redick has no other choice but to offer harsh criticism. The 41-year-old head coach has been criticized by fans for praising Dončić and not holding the 26-year-old superstar accountable for his weaknesses.
Redick expressed the need to have some ‘uncomfortable conversations’ with his players, and his intentions were made clear before leaving the podium.
“It’s a matter of making the choice, and too often we have guys who don’t wanna make that choice, and it’s pretty consistent who those guys are,” Redick said. “[For] Saturday’s practice, I told the guys it’s gonna be uncomfortable. The meeting is gonna be uncomfortable. I’m not going another 53 games like this.”
Re-establishing The Standard
Luka took accountability for his poor defensive effort and expressed the desire to improve for Redick.
The five-time All-Star is still adjusting to being the leader of the prestigious ball club, and his humble response unveiled a side of him we didn’t see much of in Dallas.
His only weakness under Jason Kidd was his defense, and Dončić is aware of the new standard he must uphold as a Laker. They are ranked 25th in defensive rating (117.8), and the roster on paper reflects that.
Out of the 15-man rotation, Deandre Ayton is the only player averaging 1.0 blocks per game. Newly signed guard Marcus Smart has defended well when healthy, but two decent defenders are not enough to stop teams in the stacked Western Conference.
Finding Potential Solutions
Their best course of action is to overwhelm their opponents with offense, but even their starting lineup has struggled at its full strength. Although James, Reaves, and Dončić are All-NBA caliber players, all three are subpar defenders. It’s virtually impossible to hide three poor defenders, especially on the wing.
At this point, General Manager Rob Pelinka has no choice but to pick up the phone and make some calls if he wants to raise a championship banner next fall. The trade deadline is Feb. 5, but it’s never too early to begin negotiations.
HoopsHype NBA Insider, Michael A. Scotto, reported that L.A. “loves” the idea of signing New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones. The defensive ace would close a massive hole on the wing and give the star backcourt another consistent shooter.
A three-and-D shooter on a team-friendly contract is precisely what this team needs after losing Dorian Finney-Smith over the offseason. Jones signed a three-year, $67 million contract on July 10, 2025, and the 25-year-old has improved every season since the 2021 NBA Draft, solidifying his value long-term.
Herbert would be the perfect addition going forward, and Pelinka has a litany of trade packages that could complete the deal if they chose to pursue him.
Life Without Austin
In the meantime, the Lakers have quelled their bad omen with a 125-101 win over the Sacramento Kings, but they can’t get comfortable. Conditions in Los Angeles will only worsen as Reaves nurses his calf injury, and the “LakeShow” will have to go on for at least a month without their third option.
The 27-year-old is averaging 26.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists after playing 23 games thus far. Austin has shown no sign of slowing down, and the Lakers will miss his defensive gravity during his absence. His injury couldn’t have occurred at a worse time, as the Lakers prepare for a brutal Winter.
January is one of their hardest months out of the entire 82-game season. Redick will have to game-plan for Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic (if healthy), Cade Cunningham, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Kawhi Leonard (if healthy). All five players are among the top 10 in the league today, and L.A. will surely struggle defensively.
Leave a comment