Lakers Christmas Collapse Reveals Deepening Disconnect
Los Angeles, Dec 26 – Christmas Day in the NBA is usually reserved for the league’s brightest stars to shine on the biggest stage. For Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers, however, the holiday showcase turned into a televised unraveling. The scoreboard at the final buzzer—a jarring 119-96 victory for the Houston Rockets—was merely a symptom of a much deeper ailment plaguing the purple and gold.
The game itself was a forgettable affair for Los Angeles, a night where defensive rotations were slow and offensive rhythm was non-existent. But the real story emerged after the final whistle, away from the court and inside the media scrum. While fans were dissecting the 23-point blowout, forward Jake LaRavia pulled back the curtain on the team’s internal state.
LaRavia, a key rotation piece signed to a two-year deal, didn’t offer the usual platitudes about “playing harder next time.” Instead, he pointed directly to a fracture in the team’s foundation. His comments suggested that the issues visible on the court—miscommunication, frustration, and lethargy—are mirroring a situation behind closed doors that has yet to be resolved.
When a role player speaks this candidly about team chemistry, it often signals that the frustration has reached a boiling point. The mention of an upcoming “meeting” orchestrated by “JJ”—presumably head coach JJ Redick—indicates that the coaching staff is no longer interested in gentle corrections.
The Lakers find themselves at a precarious crossroads. Talented rosters often stumble, but the admission of a “disconnect” suggests a fundamental misalignment between the players and the scheme, or perhaps between the players themselves. The upcoming film sessions and team meetings are being framed not as strategic adjustments, but as necessary confrontations. The team is betting that a moment of orchestrated “uncomfortability” is the only thing that can shock them back into contention.
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’s choice of the word “uncomfortability” is telling. It implies that the upcoming discussions won’t be polite. It suggests that hard truths need to be spoken, and perhaps egos need to be checked, if the team hopes to salvage the season.
The Lakers received a lump of coal on the court this Christmas, but the real test begins now. Blowout losses happen, but acknowledged internal disconnects can derail entire seasons if left unchecked. All eyes are now on how Luka Doncic and his squad respond to the “uncomfortable” conversations ahead. The chemistry experiment in Los Angeles is volatile, and the next few games will reveal if it’s about to explode or finally settle.
