The problem to me isn't the lack of offense or offensive options..outside of Brunson, Powell and Lawson the Monarchs don't have players one would traditionally call "go-to" and that's really nothing new. But they still are scoring points. I don't know what their average is, but they've managed to score....despite averaging a gazillion turnovers.
If you are going to hand other teams an avg of 23 or so turnovers a night, you better be playing much better defense and have a much more potent offense than what's been shown in the traveling purple. That's 23 possessions a NIGHT they are handing to other teams. I don't care how good your defense is, you can't win long term like that.
Chicago was essentially the third consecutive team the Monarchs have seen which had not shot the ball particularly well from the perimeter. Those should be teams the M's beat since their defense is particularly more vulnerable to teams that can score away from the basket.
Also, if you are going to give up 35 pts in a quarter when you barely gave that up in a first half? You aren't going to win....period. Their loss in Seattle on Tues was similar to their preseason loss in Seattle last year too, they got the crap jumped out of them in the 4th when Lennox went nuts all of a sudden and never could settle in to stop the mudslide of momentum.
Their loss last night to me was reminiscent to the way they lost to Phoenix all of last year, their lack of transition defense and perhaps too, a new wrinkle the lack of an interior presence. I think the fouls this team has had called against them this season is making a difference in the players heads in how they defend in the paint (or don't defend in the paint to state it using the proper phrasing). Powell was essentially neutralized. Brunson I think was only moderately effective. Harper, Williams-Strong and Kelly also were on the fringe as well. I listened to, rather than watched, the game last night, so I'm going on feel here rather than a visual.
I don't see a need to throw the hands up in despair yet, they're still trying to gel the team. If they still look like this when they come home and play Houston I might have a different feeling.