Lakers Forward Calls for Accountability From Coaching Staff

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 30: Head coach JJ Redick of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena on November 30, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Lakers had a bad loss against the Houston Rockets on Christmas. That loss made it three straight for the Lakers, and each of those losses has been blowouts. Because of that, Los Angeles has fallen to fourth in the Western Conference standings.

In a competitive Western Conference, the Lakers could tumble further down the standings with more losses. Luka Doncic has been injured, so he has been in and out of the lineup. Still, the Lakers are searching for answers before the end of the new year.

After the loss to the Rockets, forward Jake LaRavia was asked what the issue could be. LaRavia seems to think the coaching staff needs to figure it out.

GettyLos Angeles Lakers forward Jake LaRavia goes for a loose ball. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

Lakers Forward Jake LaRavia Wants Coaching Staff to Have Accountability With the Team

LaRavia mentioned that the team needed to get with the coaching staff to figure out what is going on.

“I couldn’t tell you. I couldn’t tell you. Like I said, I think there might be a disconnect right now. But we’ll get on track. Have this meeting, what JJ was talking about, and hopefully the uncomfortability of it can kind of move us in the right direction.”

LaRavia is hoping that the meeting will yield some results and that certain players can get called out. Neither end of the court has yielded positive results for the Lakers in the last few games. The Lakers need to figure out what is going on quickly before they fall deeper into the standings.

The Lakers’ defense has slipped to being the sixth-worst defense in the NBA. The offense hasn’t been good enough in the last couple of weeks to help offset the poor defense, leading to losses. They don’t seem to have answers as the end of the year approaches.

GettyLos Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka talks to the media. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Will Explore the Trade Market

The Lakers have not been shy when it comes to exploring the trade market in the middle of the season. That’s how they were able to acquire Doncic last year. This season, the Lakers clearly need to find someone who can help with the perimeter defense.

Heading into the year, the perimeter defense was the biggest flaw on the roster. They have been linked to a few players in the trade market, but they have not made any trades. In fact, no team in the NBA has made an in-season trade to this point in the year.

Los Angeles has multiple expiring contracts that can be used to bring in a player who can help them on the perimeter. Rob Pelinka is the one in charge of executing a deal, and he has the ammunition to bring in a player to help them make a push for a title this year.

Until then, the coaching staff needs to figure out how to get the current roster to play better basketball before they fall too far in the standings.

Ryan Stano Ryan Stano covers the NBA for Heavy.com. He has been covering sports since 2017, covering the NFL, College Football, College Basketball, and the NBA. His work has been featured on Yahoo, Bleacher Report, FanSided, and Sports Illustrated. More about Ryan Stano