Another under-manned opponent, another Laker loss. The team looks very dispassionate, moody and like they want the season to be over. Hustle seems like it’s optional. This has gotten hard to watch.
1) Too much Luka. It’s a fine line to walk. Too many shots and you’re not passing enough, hogging the ball. Don’t shoot enough, you quit on the team. In this case I think that there’s a problem with our lack of play calling. Can’t have Ayton getting only a handful of shots, or he’s going on the banana boat in his brain.
2) Reaves too passive. Might still not have his legs back yet, probably still knocking off some rust, but he’s not really driving and attacking like we know he can. As a result he’s become more of a release valve than creator.
3) So many dumb turnovers. Whether it was one of our guards dribbling the ball off their foot, Marcus Smart not getting the ball across the timeline when absolutely nobody was guarding him, or the listless passes that were easily picked off, this game was not a pretty one in terms of execution.
4) Too many offensive rebounds surrendered. At some point you have to look inside and say “I need to put some effort into this, those other guys are actually jumping for the ball and stuff!”. Inexplicably we lost the rebounding battle despite Mark Williams being in foul trouble and Jordan Goodwin not playing.
5) Time is running out. Nobody cares that we haven’t had the time to develop wonderful and beautiful chemistry as a team, that Luka, Reaves and LeBron nigh not play 30 games together this entire season or any other excuse one might care to cobble together. It’s either important to you and worth sacrificing for or it’s not. Petty issues with refs, teammates, coaches or your role won’t help right now. Reddick has to figure out how to get this team to play harder. He may also want to consider putting the league’s leading three pointer shooter by percentage in when you need a game tying three…I’m sure Maxi Kleber was hot, though…while Kennard sat.
Jamie, you nailed the mood of this team right now — it’s like we’re all watching a group that knows it’s underperforming but can’t quite summon the urgency to change it. That’s the part that stings the most. It’s not just the losses; it’s the body language, the shrugging, the “here we go again” vibe that seeps into every possession.
The Luka dilemma you mentioned is spot on. He’s walking that impossible tightrope where every decision is wrong if the outcome is bad. But the bigger issue is exactly what you said: no structure. No rhythm. No intentionality. Ayton drifting through games with four or five shots is basketball malpractice. You can’t ask a guy to anchor your defense, bang bodies all night, and then treat him like a bystander on offense.
Reaves… man. You can almost see him thinking through every move instead of just playing. When he’s right, he’s instinctive, fearless, slippery. Right now he’s a safety valve, not a spark.
And the turnovers — it’s like we’re inventing new ways to hand the ball to the other team. Dribbling off feet, lazy passes, Smart forgetting the timeline… it’s the kind of stuff you see from a team that’s mentally checked out. Same with the rebounding. When you’re getting beat on the glass by a team missing half its frontcourt, that’s not talent. That’s effort.
Your last point hits the hardest: time really is running out. Nobody cares about the excuses anymore. Not the injuries, not the lack of continuity, not the rotations. At some point you either decide to fight for the season or you let it slip away. And right now, it feels like we’re watching a group that hasn’t made that decision.
Reddick has to push the right buttons — emotionally, strategically, spiritually, whatever it takes. And yes, playing the league’s best three‑point shooter when you need a three seems like a pretty good place to start. Watching Kleber out there while Kennard sat was… baffling.
I’m disappointed too, man. But I’m not ready to give up. There’s still enough talent here to make noise — if they decide it matters. If they decide they matter.
Right now, we’re all just waiting for that spark.
Correct JS and BB!