{"id":140562,"date":"2026-01-16T08:53:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T08:53:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562"},"modified":"2026-01-16T08:53:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T08:53:09","slug":"%f0%9f%9a%a8-no-sugarcoating-redicks-take-on-the-lakers-fatal-flaw-echoed-what-fans-fear-most-the-honesty-only-added-fuel-to-an-already-heated-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udea8 No Sugarcoating: Redick\u2019s take on the Lakers\u2019 fatal flaw echoed what fans fear most. The honesty only added fuel to an already heated debate."},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Lakers\u2019 Perimeter Defense Reaches Breaking Point as JJ Redick Sounds the Alarm<\/h2>\n

\"JJ<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Los Angeles Lakers didn\u2019t just lose to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night.<\/p>\n

They were exposed.<\/p>\n

In a 135\u2013118 defeat<\/strong>, the Hornets carved up Los Angeles with alarming ease, scoring 30 or more points in every quarter<\/strong>, shooting 54% from the field<\/strong> and a blistering 47% from beyond the arc<\/strong>. The game was never truly competitive, and by the final buzzer, one truth was undeniable: the Lakers\u2019 perimeter defense is a glaring, season-long problem \u2014 and it\u2019s getting worse.<\/p>\n

Head coach JJ Redick<\/strong> didn\u2019t sugarcoat it afterward. He acknowledged what fans have been seeing for months and what elite offenses have increasingly exploited \u2014 the Lakers cannot consistently defend the ball at the point of attack, nor can they reliably clean up mistakes on the back end.<\/p>\n

Perimeter Defense: The Root of the Lakers\u2019 Collapse<\/h3>\n

Against teams with dynamic creators, the Lakers look helpless.<\/p>\n

Charlotte, led by LaMelo Ball<\/strong>, presented the exact type of matchup Los Angeles currently has no answer for. Ball repeatedly broke down defenders off the dribble, forced rotations, and punished every late closeout with either a drive, kick-out, or secondary assist.<\/p>\n

The Lakers lack a true perimeter stopper \u2014 someone capable of staying in front of elite shot creators without immediate help. When that initial line of defense fails, the entire structure collapses.<\/p>\n

That collapse was on full display Thursday night.<\/p>\n

JJ Redick Identifies the Core Issues<\/h3>\n

\"Los<\/h3>\n

\u201cAgainst certain teams that have dynamic drivers, we can be a little bit cautious guarding the ball,\u201d Redick said. \u201cIf we do get beat off the dribble, then we are in rotation. I thought our low man was awful all night.\u201d<\/p>\n

That quote cuts to the heart of the Lakers\u2019 defensive identity \u2014 or lack thereof.<\/p>\n

Los Angeles is often hesitant at the point of attack<\/strong>, wary of fouling or overcommitting. When guards or wings are beaten, help defense arrives late, rotations are sloppy, and the rim is left vulnerable. Against a confident shooting team like Charlotte, that combination is deadly.<\/p>\n

Defensive Rating Tells the Story<\/h3>\n

This wasn\u2019t a one-off bad night.<\/p>\n

The Lakers currently sit 25th in the NBA in defensive rating<\/strong>, a shocking position for a team with championship aspirations. Against average offenses, they can sometimes survive. Against teams with speed, creativity, and spacing, they unravel.<\/p>\n

Dynamic ball-handlers force LA into uncomfortable decisions:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n

    Switch and give up mismatches<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Help early and surrender open threes<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Stay home and concede drives<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    None of the options are good \u2014 because the personnel doesn\u2019t support them.<\/p>\n

    Going Small Made Things Worse<\/h3>\n

    The situation was compounded by Jaxson Hayes\u2019 absence<\/strong>, forcing the Lakers to deploy smaller lineups with the second unit. That decision, while necessary, exposed the team\u2019s lack of rim protection even further.<\/p>\n

    Without a reliable shot-blocker anchoring the paint, perimeter defenders become even more hesitant. They know there\u2019s no safety net behind them. As a result, ball pressure softens, lanes open, and the defense becomes reactive instead of aggressive.<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s a vicious cycle \u2014 and Charlotte exploited it mercilessly.<\/p>\n

    Deandre Ayton Isn\u2019t Solving the Problem<\/h3>\n

    On paper, Deandre Ayton<\/strong> should help mask perimeter mistakes. In reality, he hasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

    Ayton\u2019s effort and engagement fluctuate from night to night, and his rim protection has been inconsistent at best. Lakers legend James Worthy<\/strong> recently pointed out that the team continues to need more from Ayton \u2014 and they simply aren\u2019t getting it.<\/p>\n

    If Ayton were consistently locking down the paint, perimeter breakdowns wouldn\u2019t be as catastrophic. Guards could apply pressure knowing there\u2019s help behind them. Instead, opponents attack with confidence, knowing there\u2019s little resistance once they get downhill.<\/p>\n

    Improving rim protection would not fix everything \u2014 but it would significantly reduce the damage.<\/p>\n

    The 3-and-D Wing Problem<\/h3>\n

    Short of a major trade, the Lakers\u2019 perimeter issues are unlikely to disappear.<\/p>\n

    They simply do not have a reliable 3-and-D wing<\/strong> who can guard elite scorers while remaining playable offensively. That archetype is one of the most valuable in the NBA \u2014 and one of the hardest to acquire.<\/p>\n

    Marcus Smart<\/strong>, currently the Lakers\u2019 best perimeter defender, is no longer the lockdown force fans remember from his Boston Celtics days. He has lost a step laterally and is now better suited defending wings rather than explosive guards.<\/p>\n

    Against players like LaMelo Ball, that\u2019s a problem.<\/p>\n

    Smart can compete, but he cannot consistently contain elite creators without help \u2014 and the Lakers\u2019 help defense is already stretched thin.<\/p>\n

    Rob Pelinka Faces a Defining Decision<\/h3>\n

    General manager Rob Pelinka<\/strong> cannot afford to ignore this.<\/p>\n

    A trade may be necessary, but it won\u2019t be enough unless it meaningfully upgrades perimeter defense. Marginal moves won\u2019t fix systemic issues. The Lakers need either:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • \n

      A true point-of-attack defender<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      A high-level rim protector<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      Or ideally, both<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Anything less leaves them dangerously matchup-dependent.<\/p>\n

      Playoff Implications Are Dire<\/h3>\n

      \"Lakers<\/p>\n

      The most concerning part? This problem will only get worse in the playoffs.<\/p>\n

      Every postseason team features at least one dynamic shot creator \u2014 often two or three. Defensive weaknesses are hunted relentlessly. There is no hiding, no coasting, and no margin for error.<\/p>\n

      Right now, the Lakers are vulnerable against nearly every playoff-caliber offense<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

      Fans already know the pattern: when the opponent has an elite creator, the Lakers struggle mightily. That reality makes their postseason ceiling highly questionable.<\/p>\n

      Redick Has Called It Out \u2014 Now Comes the Hard Part<\/h3>\n

      JJ Redick deserves credit for his honesty. He didn\u2019t deflect blame or hide behind excuses. He identified the flaws clearly.<\/p>\n

      But calling out the problem is only the first step.<\/p>\n

      Fixing it will require:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • \n

        A meaningful roster move<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        Increased defensive buy-in<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        Improved communication and rotations<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        Greater rim protection consistency<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        And a willingness to change scheme if necessary<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        None of that is easy.<\/p>\n

        The Bottom Line<\/h3>\n

        The Los Angeles Lakers have a serious defensive problem \u2014 one that starts on the perimeter and ends at the rim.<\/p>\n

        Until it\u2019s addressed, every team with a dynamic creator will view LA as vulnerable. Championships aren\u2019t won with defenses ranked in the bottom third of the league, especially not in today\u2019s offense-driven NBA.<\/p>\n

        The alarm has been sounded.<\/p>\n

        Now the question is whether the Lakers will actually respond \u2014 or continue hoping the problem fixes itself.<\/p>\n

        Because right now, it won\u2019t.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

        <\/div>\n
        \n
        <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n
        <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Lakers\u2019 Perimeter Defense Reaches Breaking Point as JJ Redick Sounds the Alarm   The Los Angeles Lakers didn\u2019t just lose to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night…. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":140566,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-140562","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n\ud83d\udea8 No Sugarcoating: Redick\u2019s take on the Lakers\u2019 fatal flaw echoed what fans fear most. The honesty only added fuel to an already heated debate. - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\ud83d\udea8 No Sugarcoating: Redick\u2019s take on the Lakers\u2019 fatal flaw echoed what fans fear most. The honesty only added fuel to an already heated debate. - NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Lakers\u2019 Perimeter Defense Reaches Breaking Point as JJ Redick Sounds the Alarm   The Los Angeles Lakers didn\u2019t just lose to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night....\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NEWS USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-16T08:53:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2-36.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"MsThao\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"MsThao\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562\",\"name\":\"\ud83d\udea8 No Sugarcoating: Redick\u2019s take on the Lakers\u2019 fatal flaw echoed what fans fear most. The honesty only added fuel to an already heated debate. - NEWS USA\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2-36.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-16T08:53:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-16T08:53:09+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/73dec88841ffe3be696a72d46df40731\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2-36.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2-36.jpg\",\"width\":1080,\"height\":1080},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"\ud83d\udea8 No Sugarcoating: Redick\u2019s take on the Lakers\u2019 fatal flaw echoed what fans fear most. The honesty only added fuel to an already heated debate.\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/\",\"name\":\"NEWS USA\",\"description\":\"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/73dec88841ffe3be696a72d46df40731\",\"name\":\"MsThao\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/23335ad696d6700b03ba8d09f84a67eadb58cde164fc044a22845ec8be19771f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/23335ad696d6700b03ba8d09f84a67eadb58cde164fc044a22845ec8be19771f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"MsThao\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=3\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"\ud83d\udea8 No Sugarcoating: Redick\u2019s take on the Lakers\u2019 fatal flaw echoed what fans fear most. The honesty only added fuel to an already heated debate. - NEWS USA","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"\ud83d\udea8 No Sugarcoating: Redick\u2019s take on the Lakers\u2019 fatal flaw echoed what fans fear most. The honesty only added fuel to an already heated debate. - NEWS USA","og_description":"Lakers\u2019 Perimeter Defense Reaches Breaking Point as JJ Redick Sounds the Alarm   The Los Angeles Lakers didn\u2019t just lose to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night....","og_url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562","og_site_name":"NEWS USA","article_published_time":"2026-01-16T08:53:09+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1080,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2-36.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"MsThao","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"MsThao","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562","name":"\ud83d\udea8 No Sugarcoating: Redick\u2019s take on the Lakers\u2019 fatal flaw echoed what fans fear most. The honesty only added fuel to an already heated debate. - NEWS USA","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2-36.jpg","datePublished":"2026-01-16T08:53:09+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-16T08:53:09+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/73dec88841ffe3be696a72d46df40731"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2-36.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2-36.jpg","width":1080,"height":1080},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=140562#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"\ud83d\udea8 No Sugarcoating: Redick\u2019s take on the Lakers\u2019 fatal flaw echoed what fans fear most. The honesty only added fuel to an already heated debate."}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/","name":"NEWS USA","description":"Your Daily Dose of Sports News and Updates","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/73dec88841ffe3be696a72d46df40731","name":"MsThao","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/23335ad696d6700b03ba8d09f84a67eadb58cde164fc044a22845ec8be19771f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/23335ad696d6700b03ba8d09f84a67eadb58cde164fc044a22845ec8be19771f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"MsThao"},"url":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?author=3"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140562","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=140562"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140562\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":140568,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140562\/revisions\/140568"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/140566"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=140562"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=140562"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=140562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}