The dream start to JJ Redick’s coaching career has slowly begun to fade as a harsh reality check unfolds. After opening the season with three straight wins, the Lakers have now succumbed to two defeats. Last night’s Cavs loss emerged as a particularly embarrassing affair, as they were blown out by 24 points. Moreover, the disappointing performance might also have shown JJ a glaring weakness in LeBron James’ game, which several analysts have pointed out over the years.

Well, the Lakers committed a whopping 20 turnovers, six of which were by LBJ. And it often led to easy points for the opponents on the other end. Addressing the team’s bad transition defense and how it can be improved, JJ said postgame, “You have to stay at a limbo, number one. And your offense has to help your defense. So, if you turn the ball over and you’re not getting back, your transition defense is gonna suck.” Was this an indirect dig at LeBron? Well, many think so because multiple analysts have criticized James for not running back on defense after a lost possession. Even veteran insider Tomer Azarly said it two years ago. He backed his statement by posting a video of James lacking on defense against the Suns, “We’ve seen LeBron James quite a few times tonight just decide he’s not gonna run back on defense.”

Meanwhile, Ric Bucher shared a similar sentiment earlier this year, “Defensively, he’s a nightmare. Go back and watch the Toronto game (from Jan. 9). For the first three quarters, he was on Scottie Barnes. He wasn’t contesting his threes; he wasn’t doing anything.”

Obviously, a lot of it has to do with James’ age as the 39-year-old cannot go full throttle for the entire game. Although JJ did not call anyone out by name, he sees it as a collective team problem and LeBron being the leader, might be the primary culprit. But there was one silver lining amid the Lakers’ abysmal outing. Bronny James!

JJ Redick ‘congratulates’ Bronny James on a historic night in Cleveland

Although the Lakers succumbed to a thrashing, one milestone made the night memorable. With the game decided long before the final whistle, JJ checked Bronny into the game in the final quarter as his hometown crowd kept demanding his debut. Sure enough, he received a standing ovation from the fans as he entered the hardwood. And just minutes later, the rookie made his pro career’s first bucket with a smooth mid-range shot.

And Redick understood the gravity of that moment despite the tough loss. “Yeah, I told him congrats. It’s a big deal to score your first NBA points and the fact that he did it back here in Cleveland was cool. I guess that was a bright spot,” said the Lakers coach. Even LeBron deemed it an unbelievable moment and commended his son after the game, “My sense is that he’s better than I would have been in that situation… If the roles were reversed, I don’t know if I would have been able to handle it.” Surely, the James gang will cherish this moment for a long time. Meanwhile, JJ has turn his focus on solving the Lakers’ defensive problem before the next game.