Another meltdown with the game on the line. The Los Angeles Lakers look broken. The Suns didn’t have Devin Booker or the disruptive Dillon Brooks. Yet, their three-point barrage spoiled Luka Doncic’s heroic 41-point night. Following a disastrous closing moments against the Magic, it happening again proves there’s something much deeper than just basketball.

The Lakers don’t look to be a group. One visual really stood out. Four Lakers sat on the bench, all skipping a seat. Towards the end, Luka Doncic looked visibly annoyed. Lakers head coach JJ Redick had his head in his hands. The team just can’t seem to get together. An undermanned Suns team proved that in front of everyone’s eyes.

The game itself swung control multiple times. The Lakers fought back from a 12-point deficit to force a last possession. Albeit, they went up 13 in the third, a lead they lost within five minutes. These volatile stretches happening so frequently scream of a disconnect within the team.

JJ Redick did say the team needs to “continue to stay together” after the loss. But it wasn’t evident. Certain possessions looked like the Lakers didn’t know what each person was supposed to do. Royce O’Neale’s dagger was one of those highlights. The Lakers had three players contest at the rim, leaving the Suns with a wide-open look.

In a game where they splashed 21 triples before that point, it was a defensive breakdown. In such cases, one player can’t be blamed. It comes down to the team’s synergy. Essentially, a successful defense largely features cohesion. It can be scrappy, like the Suns. However, as long as everybody flows together, you cover most of the spaces.

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The Lakers aren’t talented on the defensive end. Add the dislocated chemistry, and things have turned into horror for them. Being healthy hasn’t sparked a run, but problems and frustrations.

Lakers fans feel a divide within the team

One of the reactions from this game came from Iztok Franco. The Lakers analyst noted, “Lakers just a disjointed team. No cohesion defensively, a lot of finger pointing”. He highlighted a few possessions that showcased their loss of heads. All of them led to clean looks, which the Suns capitalized on.

They hit double the threes in comparison to the Lakers. And no matter how much fight the Purple and Gold showed, it shouldn’t have come to that. From a talent perspective, the Suns weren’t favored tonight. They won the game because they played for each other.

Likewise, Lakers fans weren’t happy. They passed the blame to multiple players. One fan wrote, “Everything LeBron touches, dies”. LeBron James also struggled on the offensive end tonight. He scored just 15 on 16 shot attempts. Fans also felt it wasn’t necessary for him to rotate on the last possession.

Another person targeted was Lakers center Deandre Ayton. “Hayes, Timme and Kleber should’ve have those minutes instead of Ayton,” a fan mentioned. Ayton came under fire after a recent ESPN report. The former number one pick appeared frustrated with his duties being similar to those of Clint Capela.

But what’s mainly concerning is his sporadic efforts. Despite Mark Williams being in foul trouble, he recorded 10 rebounds for the Suns in just 13 minutes. Ayton managed to pull just four. Jaxson Hayes provided a spark in his 21 minutes, finishing with a +16 net differential, the highest on the team.

But again, this isn’t about blaming a single player. Some fans showed concerns for the Lakers’ ceiling. “Looks like a first-round exit team to me,” a fan shared. That comes from the Lakers’ lack of togetherness. It’s getting clearer that the team isn’t aligned. Personnel isn’t being used, and accountability is also absent.

Surprisingly, JJ Redick also shifted his tone. At one point, he was calling the Lakers out for ‘not caring’ enough. Now, after three straight losses, he still maintains that his team responded well against the Suns. Fans did raise their concerns against the head coach, too.

Yet, this one reaction really summed it up. “Not a team. Just a collection of basketball players getting along just to get along,” a fan wrote. If things are to improve going forward, the Lakers need to significantly improve their communication. This is now two straight losses where fans felt the team should have won.

The Lakers need to look themselves in the mirror. If winning it all is their goal, many things need to change.