LOS ANGELES — In the NBA, talent is usually the ultimate deodorant. It masks locker room tension, covers up coaching flaws, and distracts from structural cracks. But when you pair LeBron James with Luka Dončić and still find yourself getting blown out at home by a 15-win Charlotte Hornets team, the stench becomes impossible to ignore.
Enter Kendrick Perkins, the ESPN analyst and former NBA champion, who just lit a match and threw it right into the Lakers’ powder keg.
Following the Lakers’ embarrassing 135-117 loss to the Hornets on January 16, 2026, Perkins went on national television and delivered a critique that cut deeper than any box score ever could. He didn’t talk about pick-and-roll coverages or shooting percentages. He attacked the soul of the franchise.
“That’s Not a Team”
“That’s not a team,” Perkins declared, his voice heavy with the authority of a man who played on the brotherhood-centric 2008 Celtics. “That’s a bunch of individuals.”
Perkins’ assessment paints a picture of a franchise that has become a corporate entity rather than a basketball team. His most damning accusation? He is willing to bet “everything he has” that the Lakers do not even have an active group chat.
“I’m willing to bet there’s no team dinners on the road,” Perkins said. “That’s a bunch of individuals showing up to work, doing your job, and everybody go their own way.”
In an era where team chemistry is often built through memes, text threads, and post-game dinners, Perkins is suggesting the Lakers are operating like strangers who happen to wear the same uniform. They clock in, they play (poorly), and they leave.
The Superteam Illusion
The irony, of course, is that on paper, this roster should be invincible. The front office aggressively assembled a “God Squad” by pairing the 40-year-old LeBron James with prime Luka Dončić and trading for center DeAndre Ayton. It was supposed to be the move that guaranteed a title.
Instead, it has created a disjointed mess. The loss to Charlotte was the microcosm of the failure. LaMelo Ball and the Hornets—a team 11 games under .500—walked into Crypto.com Arena and played with joy, connectivity, and fire. They looked like a team. The Lakers, conversely, looked like three superstars orbiting different planets.
“LeBron and Luka combined for 68 points,” the report notes. “On paper, that’s a win. But in reality… the Hornets played free, fast, and connected, while the Lakers just stood around watching it all happen.”
The Defensive Collapse
The lack of connection is showing up most glaringly on the defensive end. Head coach JJ Redick has tried to implement complex schemes, reportedly using “three different coverages” in the loss to Charlotte. But schemes require trust, and trust requires a relationship.
The Lakers currently rank 26th in defensive efficiency. Perkins argues this isn’t a skill issue; it’s a “care” issue.
“When you have defensive individuals that look the way that they look, not on the same page, then they definitely don’t have the chemistry off the floor,” Perkins explained.
The stats back him up. Despite contesting shots at a high rate, opponents are hitting them at the highest percentage in the league. Why? Because the rotations are a step slow. The help defense is hesitant. Nobody is sacrificing their body for the teammate they apparently don’t even text.
Repeating History?
The situation draws eerie parallels to the 2004 Lakers, who added Gary Payton and Karl Malone to the Shaq-Kobe duo, only to implode against a chemistry-rich Pistons team in the Finals. Or the 2013 “This Is Going to Be Fun” Lakers with Dwight Howard and Steve Nash.
History has proven time and again: You cannot buy a culture. The 2014 Spurs and the Warriors dynasty weren’t just talented; they were families. They moved the ball because they trusted the guy next to them.
The Clock is Ticking
With nine of their next ten games on the road, the Lakers are facing a make-or-break stretch. Road trips are typically where bonds are forged—late flights, hotel breakfasts, adversity away from home. But if Perkins is right, and the Lakers retreat to their separate hotel rooms to order room service alone, this season could spiral from disappointing to disastrous.
Luka Dončić admitted months ago, “We’re still building chemistry.” In February, that is a death sentence.
“Talent might get you to the playoffs, but chemistry wins championships,” Perkins warned.
Right now, the Lakers have all the talent money can buy, and absolutely none of the chemistry money can’t. Unless they start that group chat soon, the only thing they’ll be discussing is where they’re going on vacation in April.
