Much has been made of LeBron James' passiveness on the Lakers' bench during Tuesday's opening night loss to the Warriors. His inactivity with coaching or cheering the group raised eyebrows over his commitment to the team amid his recovery from sciatica.Some fans were quick to reference reports of James evaluating the Lakers while being out, while others believed he wasn't showing interest due to LA not extending his contract.On Tuesday, insider Jovan Buha reported that the "vibes" surrounding the team haven't been great due to James' situation, adding fuel to the fire. However, coach JJ Redick's latest insights into the Lakers' practice on Wednesday have set the record straight on James' buy-in with the team.The second-year coach, who was once James' podcast co-host on "Mind The Game," revealed he and the four-time MVP have had intense discussions on film study."Him asking questions, him giving his input, us having a back-and-forth, is so healthy," Redick said of James (via ESPN's Dave McMenamin)."I would like to have dialogue and back-and-forth with questions every single time we do film and teach talk. It's like, you got a question, speak up. If you want to make a point, speak up."JJ Redick revealed LeBron James was helpful while explaining to the team their defensive "shifts" as a group to guard opposing teams. James anchored that scheme when the Lakers had their best stretch of the season last year from January 23 to March 8, when they went 17-3.LA had the best defensive rating despite having obvious holes at the point of attack and no center. In April, Redick called James the quarterback of that defense.Lakers and LeBron James Reportedly Targeting Mid-November ReturnLeBron James might not return anytime soon. He's reportedly taking his time with sciatica, delaying his season debut. ESPN's Shams Charania claimed that the Lakers and James are targeting mid-November for his season debut.Pat McAfee @PatMcAfeeShowLINK"This Lakers team is gonna need LeBron James to be LeBron James.. He's doing more work on the court but sources tell me that he won't make his debut until November" @ShamsCharania #PMSLiveJames didn't have a regular offseason in August, when he would start ramping up his conditioning to be on the court. For now, his goal remains to recover from sciatica. Charania reported that James is progressing on the court, but is far from returning soon.The Lakers will hope he makes a full recovery and stays available. Opening night's loss to the Warriors exposed the team's flaws, including its lack of athleticism and defense.LeBron James, even as he inches closer to turning 41, could provide the Lakers a significant boost in those areas.