Lakers Stumble Again, and JJ Redick Knows It’s Time to Find Answers
The Los Angeles Lakers are at a crossroads. After a frustrating loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night, they’ve now dropped eight of their last 13 games.
For a team with championship aspirations-and a head coach in JJ Redick still finding his footing-this stretch is more than just a midseason slump. It’s a warning sign.
The good news? The Lakers are still sitting in the fifth spot in the Western Conference.
But the gap between them and the top four seeds is widening, and the margin for error is shrinking. In a loaded West, standing still might as well be moving backward.
Defensive Woes Continue to Haunt L.A.
Let’s not sugarcoat it: the defense just hasn’t been good enough. And against younger, more athletic teams like Charlotte, those flaws get magnified.
The Hornets had their way from the second quarter on, torching the Lakers’ perimeter defense and generating clean looks possession after possession. There was little resistance, and even less communication.
Charlotte outscored L.A. 34-16 in the second quarter alone, and from that point forward, the Lakers never found their rhythm on either end. Offensively, the ball stuck.
Defensively, the rotations were a step slow. It wasn’t just a bad quarter-it was a breakdown in identity.
Redick, to his credit, isn’t hiding from the issues. He acknowledged that the Lakers aren’t getting any nights off. That comes with the territory when you wear purple and gold and have LeBron James on your roster.
“I think in general; these guys grew up watching LeBron James play,” Redick said after the game. “The Lakers and like the Celtics are really the most storied franchises in all of sports.
We’ve mentioned it as a team, I think all the guys know we’re gonna get [every team’s best effort]. We don’t get a lot of off nights from other teams in terms of energy and being up and all that stuff.
So yeah, I don’t think that was just tonight.”
He’s right. Playing for the Lakers means being the main event every night. But that spotlight also exposes flaws faster than anywhere else.
Roster Questions Loom
Redick is working with what he has, but it’s clear the current roster has limitations-especially on the defensive end. The Lakers lack consistent two-way wings who can stretch the floor and defend. Right now, they’re leaning heavily on LeBron and Anthony Davis to do everything, and that’s not sustainable over an 82-game grind.
The idea of adding one or two 3-and-D players before the trade deadline is certainly appealing-and probably necessary. But whether that help actually arrives remains to be seen. Until then, Redick has to find internal solutions, and fast.
This isn’t just about X’s and O’s. It’s about energy, accountability, and rediscovering the defensive identity that helped them start the season strong. The Lakers have shown flashes of that team, but lately, those moments have been few and far between.
Time for a Reset
If the Lakers want any shot at home-court advantage in the first round, they need to stop the bleeding now. That means more than just tweaking the rotation or adjusting the scheme. It means re-establishing the habits that made them a tough out early in the season-connected defense, ball movement, and effort on every possession.
Redick has a tall task ahead. He’s a rookie head coach navigating a veteran locker room and a fanbase that expects banners, not excuses. But he’s also a sharp basketball mind who understands the urgency.
The Lakers don’t need to be perfect. But they do need to be better-fast.