JJ Redick states the obvious amid the absences of LeBron James, Luka Doncic

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick didn’t sugarcoat the challenge his team faces without its two stars. Monitoring Monday night’s 122-108 loss to the Portland Trail BlazersRedick acknowledged the offensive struggles that came with the and LeBron James and Luka Doncic are sidelined.

Speaking after the game via Spectrum SportsNet on X, formerly known as Twitter, Redick made that clear.

“It’s hard to run an offense without a ball handler,” he said.

The Lakers entered the season already without James he remains on the sidelines as he recovers from a sciatic injury it kept him out of training camp. Doncic, meanwhile, missed the team’s last two games due to a sprained left finger and leg contusion. He is a 26-year-old security guard he is expected to be out for about a week as the team is proceeding cautiously with his recovery.

Before the injury, Doncic opened the season in a dominant way, averaging 46 points, 11.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists and a steal per game, while shooting 62 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from three-point range in the first two games. His absence left a significant void in Los Angeles’ offensive rhythm.

“It’s hard to run an offense without a ball handler.”

JJ Redick addresses the media afterward #Lakers falling to the Trail Blazers, losing 122-108.

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— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 28, 2025

In Dončić’s place, Austin Reeves has taken on a big job and emerged as the primary option for the Lakers. The 27-year-old guard scored a game-high 51 points in Sunday’s 128-120 win over the Sacramento Kings, adding 11 rebounds, nine assists and two steals while shooting 12-for-22 from the field and 21-for-22 from the free throw line.

JJ Redick leads the Lakers without LeBron James and Luka Doncic

Reaves followed that performance with another outstanding effort against Portland, scoring 41 points with five assists, four rebounds and two steals while shooting 13-for-22 from the field and 12-for-14 from the line. Through four games this season, Reaves is averaging 35.8 points, 8.5 assists, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals while shooting 57.3 percent and 42.9 percent from three.

Despite the modest lineup, Redick found positive results in his team’s performanceespecially in the defensive part.

“I took a lot away,” Redick said. “You know our half-court defense was great — the kick-off defense was great and we saw mostly outside of a few guys, just a very competitive, spirited, cohesive group. You can build on that.”

Redick, now in his second season as head coach, emphasized maintaining structure and competitiveness as the team navigates the early absences of its two franchise leaders. The Lakers fell to 2-2 on the season with Monday’s loss, a result that highlighted their reliance on James and Doncic to stabilize the offense.

The Lakers next chance to bounce back comes Wednesday night when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves (2-2) on the road at 9:30 PM ET on ESPN. Los Angeles will then travel to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies (2-2) Friday night at 9:30 PM ET on Prime Video before returning home to Cripto.com Arena.

While both James and Doncic are expected to return later this month, Redick and the Lakers are tasked with keeping the team stable until their stars return to action.