JJ Redick taking the blame for the Suns' loss is a welcome change from Darvin Ham

All losses indicate an opportunity for growth. A reminder that if you fall short in critical areas, the competition can beat you.

After starting the year with a three-game winning streak, the Lakers suffered their first loss of the season on Monday, 109-105 on the road against the Phoenix Suns.

For Los Angeles, it was clear where they had failed. They opened the game with an 18-point lead in the first quarter and dropped a miserable 14 points in the second period.

The defense late in the game was just an offensive showcase from Kevin Durant, where he mercilessly destroyed all of the Lakers guards set on him.

The Lakers stayed in the game until the final seconds, but it wasn't enough.

In a rare moment from Redick, he maintained his defensive strategy even though KD was lethal and undisturbed. Given that the loss was only four points, you have to wonder what could have happened if they had simply done a little better.

After his first official loss as a coach, JJ Redick wore the frustration and disappointment on his face like a mask and took responsibility for the result.

“If there's one thing you can't shake, it's probably me,” Redick said. “I probably should have gone to (blitz defense) a possession or two earlier against KD. But I liked the group we had out there defensively. I trust these guys. And the other thing I would say is that we should never have a 14-point district. So that's also up to me. Part of it is on me.

“I have to make sure we have a good offense. We felt it was a bit accidental, we got kicked out and talked about it at half-time. For us to be a high-caliber offense, we have to move bodies and move the ball. They just took us out of what we were originally doing. We were great in the second half. We showed a great performance in the second half. The second quarter in particular really hurt us.”

Such a reaction after a loss, especially the first, was unexpected. It's not uncommon for coaches to take the blame for a loss squarely, but in the last two seasons under Darvin Ham, something like that has happened…well, never.

The areas where there is room for improvement or where things went wrong with the Lakers have always been talked about in general terms. Ham would never acknowledge a flaw in his decision-making or even hint that defeat was imminent, let alone accept responsibility like Redick did Monday night.

In the middle of the 2023-24 season, after a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies that was part of a four-game losing streak, Ham told fans not to care so much about those results, reminding us of them for the umpteenth time that it's a marathon.

Ham said this during the Lakers' worst stretch of results last season, when they were 3-10 after winning the in-season tournament.

I can't think of a better example of a lack of desire for responsibility than telling those who want more from you to just not bother.

Actually, there's one that comes to mind from last season.

After a Game 2 loss to the Denver Nuggets, Anthony Davis said the Lakers sometimes didn't know what they were doing – an alarming statement to make during a playoff series against the defending champions.

When Darvin Ham was asked about the comment at the following practice, he actually declined, saying he “agrees to disagree.”

A coach has many tasks, but essentially you instruct the players who are supposed to carry out those instructions.

If the best player on the team says that the players don't know what to do, then you have failed them and the goal must be to get them on board with your plan and not push that assessment aside.

This is one of the many reasons why change was needed in Los Angeles. They need someone who has high standards, not just for the team, but for themselves. By all accounts, Redick is that guy. He is obsessed with winning and the details of the game and wants everyone around him to share this passion.

That was just one loss against a generally good team, but it bothers him and when he looks at what went wrong, he looks from within.

After the game, Davis admitted that Redick did what all good coaches do: take responsibility. However, like Redick, he also looked inward and considered what the players could do better.

“I think it’s on all of us, not just him,” Davis said after the game. “Of course he is the coach and he will try to take the blame. But we got 14 points, the players. There are things we could have done better as a group, coaching staff and players. But we didn't do it.

We will learn from it. We'll watch film about how we can't have another 14-point quarter this season and learn from our mistakes. He's pretty p——. I mean, we're all p-— simply because we play so well and nobody likes to lose. I think everyone here is a competitor where every loss is pretty big. We’ll watch the film tomorrow and get ready for a team that can already do a lot.”

With everyone on the same page and doing their best, this is a winning formula and a welcome change from the previous regime.

There will be no marginalization of these defeats, no ridicule of important things, and no cliched phrases like “We just need to get better.” No, it's all important. Either you are committed and doing your best or you are not.

The win-loss record and how far this team will go is unknown, but what we know for sure is that they will be at their best and play their best every night.

And in the end, that's all the fans demand.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.