"When Bron's out, I gotta be better and I wasn't": $53,827,872 star candidly takes blame for Lakers' loss vs Nets in LeBron James' absence

The LA Lakers fell to the Brooklyn Nets 111-108 on Monday, with LeBron James sidelined due to a left groin strain. In his absence, the Purple and Gold struggled offensively, resulting in their second consecutive loss. Austin Reaves, who's on a four-year, $53,827,872 contract, didn't hold back and took responsibility for the team's defeat.

Reaves admitted that his poor performance against the Nets played a significant role in the loss. The star guard emphasized that he cannot afford to play poorly, especially in games where LeBron James is unavailable.

"I just thought I played incredibly bad," Reaves said. "That's really about as much as I can say about that. It's frustrating not helping your team win and when Bron's out, I gotta be better and I wasn't. That's why we lost."

Austin Reaves has struggled to find his rhythm since returning from injury. On Monday, the young star appeared out of sync, missing shots he typically makes.

He finished with 17 points, shooting 3 of 14 from the field, including 1 of 5 from beyond the arc. Reaves also recorded eight rebounds, 10 assists and one block, but committed three turnovers in 36 minutes.

JJ Redick makes his feelings clear on Lakers' loss

JJ Redick is known for speaking his mind and on Monday, the Lakers coach didn’t hold back. He criticized his players for failing to show up against the Nets and for their lack of communication on the court throughout the game.

"We just wanted to take shortcuts,” Redick said. "… Just shortcuts. You want to be a good team in the NBA? Want to win? You have to do the hard stuff."

The Lakers have a two-day break before facing the Milwaukee Bucks in another challenging road game. Redick will be looking for his players to bounce back and deliver a much-improved performance against Giannis Antetokounmpo's team on Friday.