Lakers Preview: Same As It Ever Was, As LA Must Hope Pieces Fit And Flourish Around LeBron James, Anthony Davis

October 21, 2024

Lakers Preview

A look at the Los Angeles Lakers entering the 2024-25 season …

Coach: JJ Redick
Last Season: 47-35 (lost in the first round to the Nuggets)
New Faces: Redick, Dalton Knecht, Bronny James, Christian Koloko
Notable Losses: Taurean Prince, Spencer Dinwiddie

Overview

It’s hard to know what to make of a team that got to the first round of the playoffs, faltered, then changed nothing much beyond the head coach. And the new man in charge, JJ Redick, has never been a head coach before.

Nonetheless, the burning question for the Lakers is whether LeBron James and Anthony Davis can still lead this team to contention. That’s really what this has been about since the two of them arrived.

Two years ago, the Lakers found success when they moved away from the Russell Westbrook experiment and surrounded their superstars with shooters and defenders — just like they did in 2020 when they won it all. The result in 2023? A strong finish to the regular season, a top-seven point differential, and playoff victories over the Grizzlies and Warriors before falling to the Nuggets.

Last season, things looked shaky at .500 in early February, but the adjustments made by former coach Darvin Ham — bringing in Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, and Rui Hachimura — sparked a turnaround. They closed the season 22-10, showcasing the league’s third-best offense. But, again, they ran into the Nuggets in the playoffs.

Now, with Redick stepping in as head coach, there’s reason for optimism. He won’t waste time trying to find what works; he plans to start with the winning formula from last year.

That lineup of LeBron, AD, Reaves, Russell, and Hachimura outscored opponents by nearly seven points per 100 possessions. They had a great balance of shooting and defense that could lighten LeBron’s playmaking load while dominating the paint — finishing second in shots taken at the rim and first in field-goal percentage there.

James insists he is feeling good. He mentioned on media day that he still has plenty left in the tank to help the team win, whether it’s another gold medal or a Larry O’Brien Trophy.

But the roster’s depth is a concern. With Russell’s decision to pick up his player option, the Lakers are banking on internal development from young players like Max Christie and Jalen Hood-Schifino.

One key for Redick will be getting the team to shoot more threes. Last season, they finished 27th and 28th in 3-point attempt rate, which simply won’t cut it if they want to compete. Enter Knecht, the first-round pick who shot 40% from deep in college — and perhaps he could be a game-changer in that department.

In a perfect world, the Lakers could field a top-five starting lineup, get consistent growth from their younger guys, and hope their veteran presence holds up. If everything clicks, as Hachimura suggested, this team has the potential to get out of the West.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. LeBron’s age and mileage are real factors, and if AD can’t elevate his game to compensate, the Lakers could find themselves in trouble. If Russell, Reaves, and Hachimura stagnate, and the young players don’t emerge, GM Rob Pelinka might face yet another tough decision mid-season.

In short, there’s a tightrope to walk between being hopeful and realistic. The Lakers have the pieces to contend, but in a loaded Western Conference, they’ll need to find that sweet spot to make another title run.