After the Lakers got blown out at home by the Bulls last weekend, JJ Redick emphasized that they need to ‘build from ground zero’ now that their injured stars are back. Highlighting a major flaw, he said, “I don’t know if we assumed because we had everybody back that it was just gonna be like it was three weeks ago and that’s just not the way this works.” But it looks like the LA team didn’t learn their lesson, as they suffered another brutal loss tonight against the Magic. Sure enough, JJ was not pleased with the outcome and made a shocking confession about the locker room’s current state.

While the Lakers have turned into offensive juggernauts since Luka Doncic’s arrival, its their impressive defense that has won them games. Since the All-Star break, they are ranked fifth in defensive rating at 114.3. However, they seem to have lost that edge following last Wednesday’s win against the Nuggets. Addressing the team’s defensive intensity that has been missing in the last three games, Redick said, “It wasn’t just against Denver, we had it for about 25 games. And we can get back there.”

Revealing the reason behind the Lakers’ recent struggles, the head coach confessed, “I think couple guys, maybe from the schedule and being in an out of the lineup and another couple guys being injured, like I don’t know, we look tired. And I don’t know what contributes to that. That happens periodically throughout a season where the group gets tired. That’s what it feels like right now.” 71 games into the regular season, there is bound to be some fatigue.

Moreover, several key players, including LeBron James and Rui Hachimura recently returned from major injury. So, it’s natural to be out of rhythm for the first few games. Even during tonight’s game, Redick noticed a similar issue, “We weren’t able to sustain our level of intensity that we started the game with.” Well, the Lakers finished the first half leading by two points and it looked like they would finally snap their two-game losing streak. But they lost focus in the second half and lost by double-digits. Despite the tough loss, JJ is surprisingly not putting the blame solely on Hachimura and LeBron.

JJ Redick gives Rui Hachimura and LeBron James some grace as he calls out the entire Lakers squad

Well, a major reason the LA team lost tonight was the underwhelming performance of LBJ and Rui. Of course, James missed seven straight games due to a groin injury before returning on Saturday and Rui missed twelve due to left patellar tendinopathy. They are still dealing with some rust. Although a better performance than Saturday, LeBron scored 24 points and dished out seven assists. Meanwhile, Hachimura also looked out of rhythm as he finished with 5 points.

When asked how much grace he is allowing because of LeBron and Rui’s return, JJ acknowledged the team’s struggles, “Yeah, we’re going through it a little bit. We gotta get back into the flow and the rhythm and those guys.” However, he didn’t blame the two stars for the loss, “I think it’s not just them getting back into their flow but it’s the group and how the group functions.”

Yes, the entire Lakers squad has looked a bit out of sorts since getting their injured stars back. Maybe, it’s the fatigue or just the time required to settle in with the old group, but the Lakers need to figure out a solution quick because more losses could push them further down the standings. Following tonight’s loss, they are tied with the fifth-seeded Grizzlies. Hopefully, LeBron James and Co. will look more in sync on Wednesday against the Pacers.