On February 19, 2025, the Lakers suffered a gut-punch loss to the Hornets, 100-97. It wasn’t just any loss. It was a meltdown. A full-on razing of a 12-point lead, getting annihilated by a 22-1 run. I’m sure as frustrating as the collapse was, what happened after the game will emerge as the greater concern. A bigger issue, however, was something head coach JJ Redick didn’t hold back in talking about.
In the third quarter, things were fine, the Lakers were up by 65-53 late. Their offense then flipped a switch and went completely cold. The Hornets were all pumped by the time they scored 10 straight shots. LaMelo Ball contributed 27 points and orchestrated everything, and Miles Bridges went off with 29 points as the Hornets got a massive win.
The Lakers, meanwhile, just couldn’t put it together. James had 21 points but missed two crucial shots at the end. Luka Doncic had an abysmal night as he failed to find his Midas touch. After the game, Redick kept it real: This is a new challenge, and he wants the Lakers to figure it out fast. “Sometimes when the group is trying to get acclimated with each other, you can try to play the right way too much and turn down shots, and then you can try to get yourself in a rhythm and not make the extra pass.“
Basically, they’re overthinking everything. Redick knows the team is still finding its rhythm, but he’s staying optimistic.“I think the flow of everything is going to happen. I’m excited because this is a new problem to solve.” Instead of stressing, he sees this as an opportunity to fine-tune their offense.“We’ll work our butts off to try to solve the problem, but I’m excited about us being able to generate that stuff, getting two on the ball. We’ll just continue to re-emphasize the type of shots we want, and I felt from the Detroit game on, on December 23rd, I’ve really liked the threes we’ve generated.”
VIDEO: JJ Redick discussed the Lakers’ offensive struggles in their loss to the Hornets.https://t.co/B5YLOqy7hK
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) February 20, 2025
But here’s the grave issue—LeBron James isn’t exactly on board with Redick’s game plan.
LeBron James isn’t fully buying into Redick’s three-point strategy
This isn’t the first time LeBron has had a coach who wants him to shoot more threes. And guess what? He’s not loving the idea this time, either. Redick has been pushing for a more modern offense—spacing, ball movement, and more threes. But LeBron is one of the best interior scorers ever, and shifting to a high-volume three-point game? Yeah, that’s not exactly his thing.
LeBron has been a fan of Luka Doncic for years, going back to 2018 when he first talked about wanting to play with him. Now, they’re finally teammates, and the expectations are sky-high. But they’re still figuring things out. “Everybody getting into the right spots, hold each other accountable, play basketball the right way, share the ball. The ball is gonna be in Luka’s hands, it’s gonna be in AR’s hands. Two great decision makers. It’d be in my hands a little bit as well. Another great decision-maker and then our guys are gonna feast off us,” LeBron said. “
So, he’s open to adjusting his role… but when it comes to shooting more threes? Not so much. Just recently, after dropping 42 points on the Warriors—becoming just the second player ever (after Michael Jordan!) to score 40+ points at 40 years old—LeBron admitted Redick wants him to let it fly from deep.”JJ still wants me to shoot more threes. I’m still reluctant to do that ’cause I’m just playing an all-around game… I don’t know, maybe we’ll see.”
It’s an interesting standoff. Redick wants a modernized offense, built around spacing and threes. But LeBron, who’s been dominating inside his entire career, doesn’t buy into the plan just yet.
Feb 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and guard Luka Doncic (77) during the second quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images
The Lakers’ front office is already trying to build around LeBron and Luka. They tried to bring in Mark Williams, a 7-footer who can catch lobs and finish at the rim—something Luka’s big men in Dallas did all the time. But if LeBron keeps resisting Redick’s vision, it could slow down how quickly this team finds its groove.
With the playoffs creeping closer, the Lakers don’t have time to waste. Redick is making it crystal clear—fixing their offense is priority number one. But if LeBron won’t fully commit to the game plan, things could get complicated really fast.
Now, all eyes are on Luka’s Lakers debut. If LeBron buys in, this team could be scary good. If not? Well… this “new problem” Redick talked about might turn into a major headache for the Purple and Gold.
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