Fans Rip Lakers as LeBron, Luka Lose to LaMelo, Mark Williams After Rescinded Trade

The Los Angeles Lakers closed the first half of the 2024-25 NBA regular season with a loss to a lottery-bound opponent, and that's how they opened the second half, too.

The Charlotte Hornets went into Crypto.com Arena and walked out 100-97 victors in a game that was rescheduled from January due to the Los Angeles wildfires.

Because of the postponement, the contest also came after the failed trade between the Hornets and Lakers that would've sent center Mark Williams to L.A.

Williams had 10 points and nine rebounds in 29 minutes on the floor, while teammates LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges combined for 56 points.

LeBron James led the way for the Lakers, finishing with 26 points, seven rebounds nad 11 assists. Luka Dončić had a double-double as well, putting up 14 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.

While there was a broad acknowledgment Los Angeles still had some glaring flaws after acquiring Dončić—Williams would've shored up one of the biggest weaknesses at center—a loss to the previously 13-win Hornets might be a stiff reality check.

And the honeymoon period for Luka may already be waning based on some of the reaction from fans.

The opportunity to land Dončić was too good to pass up and nobody is second-guessing general manager Rob Pelinka for the decision.

The downside, however, is that doing the trade in the middle of the season was bound to set expectations to an unrealistic degree. In addition, head coach JJ Redick and his staff are having to experiment on the fly when it comes to devising an offensive strategy that optimizes Luka and LeBron together.

You don't want to overreact, but there's just under two months left in the regular season. It may not be premature to question whether L.A. is in danger of slipping out of the top six in the Western Conference.