Lakers coach JJ Redick bluntly calls out Luka Doncic and Co for inconsistencies after third preseason loss

Lakers coach JJ Redick did not mince his words about the team's lack of progress after suffering a defeat in Luka Doncic's pre-season debut on Tuesday. It was their third loss and the second against the Phoenix Suns, deprived of their star, Devin Booker, and other top players.

The Lakers started well behind a fiery run from Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. But as the match progressed, the Suns made up for it with their tenacity. THE Lakers did not match and ultimately paid the price with a 113-104 loss.

Redick thanked the team for doing well on some occasions, but called out its inconsistency.

“If you want to be a good team, you have to do it every time,” Redick said. “You have to do the right thing every time. That's where I don't think any of the groups tonight were as cohesive as they should be.”

JJ Redick said the Lakers took a few steps forward defensively against the Warriors on Sunday and a step back against the Suns.

“It’s a little frustrating,” he added.

One of the Lakers' biggest issues is their transition defense. In four games, LA has allowed 24.8 points on turnovers and 18.8 points on fast breaks, both in the bottom five.

Luka Doncic-Austin Reaves tandem shows encouraging signs for shorthanded Lakers

The Lakers have yet to see their key players on the court together. That will no longer be possible with LeBron James sidelined due to sciatica. With only two games remaining, they have yet to test the rest of the core together without James. Luka Doncic played its first game, but LA was without key rotation players Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent on Sunday.

Nonetheless, Doncic spent some quality time on the court with his future co-star for the foreseeable future, Austin Reaves. The Lakers' backcourt duo wreaked havoc offensively against Phoenix, scoring 25 points each. Doncic added seven rebounds and four assists, shooting 7 of 15, including 4 of 8 from 3.

Reaves added four rebounds and two assists on 8-of-16 shooting. Both got to the free throw line, with Doncic making nine attempts and Reaves eight. It was an encouraging sign for the Lakers, as this duo needs to carry the team for at least the next month while James recovers.

Questions were raised about the duo's ability to function together, but Tuesday's effortless execution, without them disrupting each other's flow, assuaged those concerns.