The LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers dropped to 2-8 on the season Monday night as they lost 139-116 to the surprising Utah Jazz. It was the second time in 2022-23 the Jazz have already beaten the Lakers.

Following the defeat, head coach Darvin Ham spoke on three areas his team must improve moving forward. Via Spectrum SportsNet:

The Lakers allowed Utah to shoot 42% from downtown (16 for 38), including eight triples in the first quarter alone. LA was also outrebounded 41-33 overall and cooked in transition, getting outscored 20-11. Their defense has actually been relatively solid so far, but Monday was one of those nights where they failed to bring it.

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Playing without LeBron is always difficult, but offensively, there were still some bright spots. Anthony Davis dropped 29 points, while five other scorers finished in double figures, including Russell Westbrook with 22.

Even after losing eight of their first 10 games, Ham is staying positive and believes it's only a matter of time until the Lakers turn things around. Via Kyle Goon:

“Darvin Ham with a pretty defiant stance after a 2-8 start, saying he can't abide any defeatist attitudes and he's always going to see the glass half full: “It's not always going to be like this. We're gonna turn the corner. I didn't come here to lose.”

It doesn't get any easier for LA as they face the Clippers on Wednesday night, looking to break a three-game cold skid. Hopefully, James can return for that contest and give the Lakers a boost. The record looks brutal but there are signs of life for this group.