After the All-Star break, the Los Angeles Lakers returned to NBA action this Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena. However, their performance fell short as they suffered a disappointing 100-97 defeat to the Charlotte Hornets. Following the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick shared his thoughts on the developing chemistry between LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
“As a coach, you’re excited that you have two guys that can be the passer and be the guy who gets the pass,” Redick explained during the postgame press conference. “I think the flow of everything is gonna happen.”
The coach then delved into the challenges faced by himself and his coaching staff in achieving a cohesive team performance that brings out the best in the team’s star players. “I’m excited, this is a new problem to solve and we’ll work our butts off to solve it,” he added. “I’m excited about us being able to generate this stuff, getting two on the ball, and we’ll try to re-emphasize the type of show we want.”
Reflecting on what didn’t click during Wednesday’s game, Redick noted: “Sometimes when the group is trying to get acclimated with each other, you try to play the right way too much and turn down shots.”
Despite the loss, JJ remained upbeat about some positive signs he saw on the court. “It felt like LeBron, particularly in the fourth, just found a nice rhythm and felt really comfortable with that. We got two good looks,” he acknowledged. “There’s some interchangeable parts in some of the late-game stuff.”
LeBron and Luka’s performances
LeBron James was the standout player for the Los Angeles Lakers in the loss, contributing 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 11 assists in 38 minutes of action. Despite his strong individual performance, James’ efforts were not enough to overcome the Charlotte Hornets, one of the weaker teams this season.
On the other hand, Luka Doncic finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. A key takeaway from his performance was his increased involvement in the game: The Slovenian guard logged 33 minutes on the floor, up from the 23 minutes in his previous outings with the Lakers.
The Lakers’ urgent search for consistency
While JJ Redick remains upbeat about the potential for the Los Angeles Lakers to develop a style of play that fully harnesses the strengths of both LeBron James and Luka Doncic, time is of the essence as the 2024-25 NBA season enters its decisive phase.
With the margin for error shrinking, the Lakers are running out of time to find the consistency they need in both their play and results. Currently sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference with a 32-21 record, the Lakers are far from safe in their playoff positioning. Close behind them are the Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Dallas Mavericks, making every game increasingly important as the season progresses.