JJ Redick: Lakers 'Were Really Poor Offensively for 90% of' Loss to LaMelo, Hornets

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick had a blunt assessment of his team's 100-97 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.

"I thought our effort and competitive spirit was good enough to win," he told reporters. "Just we were really poor offensively for 90 percent of the game."

The Lakers shot 41.1 percent from the floor overall and were 15-of-51 on three-pointers in the defeat.

Luka Dončić and Rui Hachimura were the two biggest offenders in terms of the team's shooting struggles. They combined to make two of their 17 long-range attempts.

The game illustrated how the partnership between Dončić and LeBron James remains a major work in progress.

The two stars are capable of creating some highlight-reel plays together.

On the whole, though, the Lakers and Luka are still adjusting to life with one another, and that's leading to a disjointed offense.

Redick said in his postgame press conference he's "excited because this is a new problem to solve" when asked about the Lakers taking 51 threes and what it reflects for L.A. offensively.

The hard part for Redick and his staff is that there's just under two months left in the regular season and the Lakers will feel some urgency to hold onto a top-six place in the Western Conference. Right now, 2.5 games separate them from the Minnesota Timberwolves in seventh.

Experimenting with the offense and doing what it takes to win on a nightly basis aren't mutually exclusive, but it's likely to be a delicate balancing act between now and the playoffs.