The Lakers were craving for the King to return as 4 losses in between hit the panic button. And when he returned? The Lakers crumbled. Ever thought the Lakers would look lifeless after LeBron and Hachimura were back in the lineup? The Bulls might have had a 7-3 record in the last 10, but the Lakers are miles ahead, at least on paper. So the loss to the 9th-placed Chicago pinched them hard. The depressing second half last night was unacceptable. And what can be the reaction to this painful action? Coach JJ Redick had to douse the wildfire by calling the boys as a 31-point loss is too much for a side that claims to eye the championship.

Last night’s lack of confidence and communication was boiled down to one point: a need for reconnection. “You gotta get reconnected,” Redick said. “We, however, don’t have a lot of time to do that. And it’s gotta be now. It can’t be in a week. It can’t be in two weeks. It’s it’s gotta be now. It’s gotta be Monday morning in our film session, in our walkthrough for Orlando.” No room for delays, and no space to relax, the Purple-gold camp needs to wake up and hit the nail tomorrow; that’s the message from the Rookie coach.

It’s understandable though. Doncic’s arrival boosted morale and losing didn’t seem an option until it hit them hard. With back-to-backs and James’ injury worries, the team lost focus. James’ injury came at the worst possible time, and they’ve been in a slump ever since, losing 6 of the last 10. And it is not getting any easier hereon. They have 12 games remaining with three back-to-backs left. JJ and Co. need to travel for 8 of those 12 and have to face the top 8 teams of their respective conferences another 8 times. So the best bet now? Work on Luka’s words that even JJ Redick lapped on.

JJ thinks their ability to get back to their usual levels of defending is what will make or break their season. LBJ and Rui might be back in their lineup, but the status of their squad for the remaining regular season is still unknown. The team will need everyone’s help, especially after Luka Dončić flagged regarding their teamwork before the Bulls game.

Luka Doncic asserts relationship struggles in Lakers team

The problem with a mid-season window in sports is the imminent need for integration. A summer window will always allow some pre-season time and games for the new members to settle in. But considering Showtime’s ridiculous upcoming schedule, the Magician has spoken about the difficulty of building chemistry due to lack of practice time.

“We basically have no practice. I mean, we don’t have time to practice,” said Luka. “We play six games in eight days, so it’s impossible to practice. Obviously, it’s tough because in practice, you get chemistry, you get everything. It’s on us to figure that out.” But despite recent struggles, he still affirms the freedom to be himself on the floor in purple and gold.

Luka’s magic was hugely present in his box numbers against the Bulls last night. A 34/8/6 performance justifies Jaxson Hayes’ beliefs about him being the best point guard in the league. But by his own admission, he had one of his worst games as an LA rep. 12 of the Lakers’ 21 turnovers came from Doncic (7) and LeBron James (5). “I can’t be losing the ball seven times,” Doncic said. “That’s way too many for me.” With the lack of confidence and communication, all the players seemed out of rhythm, which is what probably caused their second loss on the bounce.

JJ Redick’s ship needs some control right now. The lads know where they’re lacking. As much as they can complain about the rigid schedule, they can’t avoid the inevitable. The return of LeBron James brings the return of the soon-to-be-legendary partnership the Lakers fans call Broncic, which will be on display next at the Kia Center against the Orlando Magic on Monday night.