The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Utah Jazz 143-135 on Thursday night behind a 45-point triple-double from Luka Doncic, but that did not stop head coach JJ Redick from saying his superstar hasn’t always been fully engaged and doing what the team asks defensively. The Lakers are 19-7 and appear to be a serious title threat. Redick knows they will need a fully locked-in Luka to make a deep run, so he took the opportunity to call him out when asked.
Doncic finished with 45 points, 14 assists, 11 rebounds, and five steals in 40 minutes of action in the win over the Jazz in Utah. He had just one turnover and went 14 of 28 from the field. Still, the Lakers lost Luka’s minutes by five points. There were certainly lapses on defense, but number 77 delivered when it mattered.
Doncic is firmly in the MVP race, but coach Redick wants to see more. He knows the Western Conference is loaded, and even the first-round matchup will be a challenge. The head coach is already putting his superstar on notice.
JJ Redick wants Luka Doncic to fully lock in and execute the defense
Redick was asked about Luka’s recent play after the 45-point triple-double, and fans can read the head coach’s quote below.
“Just like stretches of playing excellent, being engaged, and executing our stuff defensively. Then, stretches where he is not as engaged and executing our stuff defensively, but I would say that is for everybody.”
Redick followed by crediting Luka and LeBron for creating offense without turning the ball over, and changing the way the team runs plays on the fly. They are using hand signals over Redick calling out plays. The offense certainly wasn’t the problem against the Jazz.
Utah scored 135 points and made 18 3-pointers on Thursday night. There was some impressive shot-making, but there were plenty of defensive breakdowns, especially in the first half. The Jazz had 78 points in the first 24 minutes. Luka certainly played a role in those issues.
The Lakers must trade for a perimeter defensive upgrade before the deadline, but they need more from Luka. The superstar acknowledged just that after practice on Dec. 17.
“It was good. We talked about a lot - not just that. But he was right. You got to get a little bit more, especially from the star players. So that’s on us, that’s on me.” - Luka Doncic on JJ Redick’s recent meeting where he asked for more on the defensive end from him and LeBron pic.twitter.com/EF9wRTFduz
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 17, 2025
Coach Redick didn’t see it on Thursday night. That was disappointing after the recent discussions and emphasis placed on that end of the floor. The Lakers walked out with a victory in Utah, but that won’t be the case in the playoffs against the elite teams in the West.
Lakers fans have seen Doncic do it. Redick said so himself. There are moments where Luka is locked in and making the plays defensively. Everyone wants to see more of those. Doncic carries a massive offensive workload, which impacts his defense. The Lakers simply need more from number 77.
The Los Angeles Lakers keep winning games, and Luka Doncic is one of the five best players in the world. He led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024 and can do the same wearing purple and gold. It is all about being more consistently dominant. Luka will get there before the playoffs, and coach Redick calling him out should help. Expect number 77 to respond like he always does.