FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

The Los Angeles Lakers dropped their third straight game on Thursday night, and head coach JJ Redick admitted the team made an effort to play LeBron James more without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. The coach is reacting to the team’s struggles when the three stars play together, and the reality that his team only wins the minutes with James when he is by himself. It forced a switch that didn’t quite pay immediate dividends.

The star trio is still trying to figure things out. LeBron was injured to start the year, and Doncic and Reaves have missed time since LBJ returned. The King admitted they need better health to get things figured out down the stretch, so it should be no surprise that coach Redick is still searching for answers.

The numbers don’t lie. The Lakers are best with Doncic and Reaves sharing the floor this season. Their next best grouping is LeBron without the other stars. Coach Redick admitted he tried to lean into those numbers against the Suns and found a lineup that worked in the process.

JJ Redick wanted to play LeBron James more without his other stars

The talk of the trio not working has reached the national discourse. The Lakers have a negative-7.8 net rating when their three stars play together, according to Databallr. They are plus 8.8 with just LeBron on the floor, and plus 17.9 when Doncic and Reaves share the court.

After the tough loss in Phoenix, coach Redick had this to say when asked about what worked offensively.

“I think that lineup that we played tonight. I don’t know if it was our first time playing it, but it was something we talked about pregame. Letting Luka and AR play longer together. Letting LeBron play on his own for a little bit. There were seven minutes of that Jake, Luke, AR, Luka, and Jaxson lineup, and that was a good lineup for us tonight.”

The coach saw success. Luka had 41 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists as the Lakers won his 39 minutes by nine points. Reaves played 36 minutes and was also a plus-nine. LeBron was plus-five in his 35 on the floor. If the Lakers can’t make the Big 3 work together, Redick is wise to stagger in the most effective ways.

There is no avoiding playing them together when all three are playing 35-plus minutes every night. The Lakers had been using LeBron and Reaves more and letting Luka run the show solo. They’ve won the minutes with just Doncic by 5.3 points per 100 possessions this season, but lost the LeBron and AR time by 4.5.

This is a LeBron problem. The Lakers are fine with just Luka, just AR, or Luka and Reaves. They have sadly only found success with James when he plays solo. LeBron is arguably the GOAT, so he must figure things out. He can play with anyone. It is all about finding the right ways and making it so their porous defense can tread water.

The Los Angeles Lakers still have a LeBron James problem to solve. Head coach JJ Redick is already taking steps to mitigate the issue. Fans should expect to see more solo LeBron lineups moving forward, but the Lakers must figure out how to thrive with their Big 3. If not, it will be a quick postseason exit and nothing but disappointment in Hollywood.

It’s time for the Lakers to start Jaxson Hayes at centerAyton is undoubtedly better when he tries but I just can’t rely on a 27 year old grown man who needs “crunk juice to unleash the beast” and sees effort as optional pic.twitter.com/7WPO3e6Dzm— LakersMuse (@LALMuse) February 27, 2026

Lakers center rotation +/- ratings since 2026 began:Deandre Ayton -58 (2nd worst on team)Jaxson Hayes +55 (best on team)Maxi Kleber -1I don't love the +/- stat but you can't overlook the clear issue here— JSM (@JSMonYT) February 27, 2026

If Ayton gets benched then they might as well just pull the plug entirely and just send him home. His history has shown that he can be the type of dude who will disrupt the whole locker room at the worst possible time. It’s a tricky tightrope to walk.

This team has big issues that a simple tweak in rotations ain’t gonna solve..

I was visibly frustrated when he couldn’t get the ball across the timeline when nobody was guarding him. Absurd.

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

Marcus Smart: B+
LeBron James: D
Deandre Ayton: F
Austin Reaves: D
Luka Doncic: A
Luke Kennard: B
Jaxson Hayes: B+
Jake LaRavia: B+
JJ Redick: C

Lebron can’t be the primary for long stretches of time anymore. You can already watch the fatigue set in as the games go on. His turnovers get worse, layups get blown, jumpers die on the front of the rim, missed free throws. Also, Luka isn’t an off the ball type of player; he needs to be in control. We saw this fail recently when we tried to force Russ into that same role.

JayJay gets paid to figure this stuff out..

The LeBron stuff with the Lakers is nuanced.He’s been fantastic on the floor by himself and has led some of LA’s most successful units.But his propensity to make mistakes on defense and the inability to hit C&S threes has certainly had a negative impact alongside Austin/Luka. https://t.co/hKOtc5ijrD— Jason Timpf (@_JasonLT) February 27, 2026

Final: Suns 113, Lakers 110LA drops their third straight game to fall to 34-24. They’ll now potentially be two games back of No. 5 if MIN wins tonight. The Lakers are trending in the wrong direction at the wrong time. Luka had 41/8/8. LeBron had 15/6/5.Up next: at GSW on Sat.— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) February 27, 2026

And plenty others, not only Ayton, were bad defending the 3 later on. Vando, Hayes, LaRavia, Luka really struggled in the 4th. Just cant set the tone like that, give this Suns team that couldnt score in last 4 games momentum and hope.— Iztok Franko (@iztok_franko) February 27, 2026

Lakers just a disjointed team. No cohesion defensively, a lot of finger pointing. Here are 3 open Suns threes in first 15 minutes…for Ayton to come out like this after that ESPN article, maybe play Kleber or Timme. pic.twitter.com/oP2Gwrg4lY— Iztok Franko (@iztok_franko) February 27, 2026

The Lakers run a great sidelines out of bounds set to get Austin Reaves a look to tie it at the buzzer, but he can’t get it to go.The undermanned Suns win, 113-110. pic.twitter.com/7yvSphV8Kh— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 27, 2026

Suns bludgeon Lakers from three, hand LA third straight loss https://t.co/1sFzJ6dm2V— LakerTom (@LakerTom) February 27, 2026

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!

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

1. Retirement?

The buzz has James going one more year, to get his flowers on the way out. Still, not everyone needs a farewell tour, and he may choose to retire after the 2025-26 campaign.

2. Don’t Completely Write off the Lakers

Still, Plan A may not bear fruit. If the Lakers strike out on their top goals, they could delay until 2027. If so, perhaps James returns for one final goodbye, farewell tour, etc. It may not be L.A.’s primary goal, but it’ll sell tickets while giving James a proper sendoff.

3. Back Home to Cleveland (or Another Contender)

Other teams in similar situations that are thought to appeal to James are the Golden State Warriors and the New York Knicks. The Cavaliers and Knicks are among the Eastern Conference contenders. The Golden State Warriors have struggled to stay healthy, but the Steph Curry/James combination would be something to see.

4. Sign-and-Trade Difficult/Unlikely

Realistically, it’s a long shot as the Lakers (assuming they’re moving on from James) have goals in mind to bolster a Luka Dončić-led roster. James could be the primary outgoing salary for a star like Giannis Antetokounmpo, but James is unlikely to choose the Bucks as his next destination (especially with Antetokounmpo departing). A third team could be the answer, the one James desires, but it’s complicated enough that it’s among the least likely options.

5. Las Vegas Bound

Beyond James’ next team as a player, there’s a rumor going around the league that he will be the face of the NBA’s expansion team in Las Vegas.

One line of thinking is that he might retire, and his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, might sell the rest of his agency to UTA (United Talent Agency). With financial backing, they then might look to step into ownership roles.

It’s important to note the NBA has not decided on expansion, let alone which cities. If Vegas is among the most likely destinations (along with Seattle), the league will let multiple candidates pitch locations.

Rumors are fun, sometimes true, but it’s too early to put weight into this one. Still, it’s been bouncing around for several years and is worth keeping an eye on.

Retirement may or may not come at the end of the season. He could return home to finish in Cleveland, join Steph Curry in Golden State, or help give New York a run at its first title since 1973.

Even if James decides to continue, he has acknowledged that he doesn’t have much time left as a player. Perhaps that leads to an NBA governorship, whether in Las Vegas or elsewhere—it wouldn’t be wise to bet against him finding success in his next venture beyond playing basketball.

One thing JayJay has been consistent at is making sure we beat bad teams (which PHX is w/these injuries). Only reason why our record is as good as it is. Teams on our level or above?…not so much.