Frustration is mounting for the Los Angeles Lakers as they were blown out by the Charlotte Hornets at home on Thursday night. Luka Doncic and LeBron James showed up offensively, but there was no scoring from the supporting cast, specifically the bench.
This is not a surprise as L.A. remains last in bench production, but having a heavy reliance on starters to carry an offense is not sustainable. Yes, Doncic can do that, but other players off the bench need to find ways to impact the game as well.
One other issue has been the Lakers often complaining to the referees after missed calls. Doncic, in particular, makes his voice heard when he disagrees with a call or believes he gets fouled.
He is not the only culprit, but as a team leader, it stands out more. Hornets play-by-play announcer Eric Collins noticed Doncic complaining to a ref during the game and called him a whiner, via HornetsReddit:
🗣️ Eric Collins on Luka Doncic: "This guy is a whiner." 😂 pic.twitter.com/KpeP3MPSCc
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) January 16, 2026
Collins is well known as an NBA announcer due to his personality and unorthodox way of calling games. From an outside perspective, it is hard to discredit his opinion on Doncic because he is seemingly always talking to an official, presumably mad about a call or non-call.
However, it is a part of today’s NBA and players have been given a longer leash to talk to referees. Those criticisms subside when a team is winning, but the Lakers have been struggling lately, losing games they shouldn’t.
There needs to be an emphasis for the Lakers as a team to lay off the refs and focus on what they need to do to win. Doncic will not change his ways, but managing his approach should be a focus.
Marcus Smart: Lakers need to adapt to officiating instead of complaining
Every game is different and officials typically set the tone early on. Whether that is good or not, teams need to find ways to maneuver through how they are being officiated.
While the Lakers have valid grievances at times with calls or non-calls, they cannot get away from how they play. Marcus Smart, as a defensive leader, sees how his team is behaving and there needs to be a change.
Moving forward, Smart thinks L.A. needs to adapt to how a game is being called instead of reacting and complaining about it.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
