The Los Angeles Lakers were a play-in team again in 2023-24, and their playoff run lasted five games. Given that it was LeBron James’ 21st season, you might think that the team would have responded by making a big, win-now trade, or perhaps a series of smaller, but significant ones. This is not what has happened.
Heading into Year 22, James and his co-star, Anthony Davis, have returned to a roster that looks largely the same as it did last season. The Lakers believe they got a steal in Dalton Knecht, the No. 17 pick in the draft, and they have made history by selecting James’ son, Bronny, with the No. 55 pick. In terms of this season’s on-court product, though, changing coaches might have been the biggest move they made. A year after leading Los Angeles to the conference finals, the team fired Darvin Ham. Then it replaced him with JJ Redick, who, in this role, will no longer co-host podcasts with James.
Redick has been pretty open about how he wants the Lakers to play, particularly on offense. He wants more ball movement, a more modern shot profile (I.e. more 3s) and more crashing the glass from the corners. He wants to use Davis as a handoff hub more often, and he wants to use James as a screener more often. It all sounds pretty sensible, but, if the personnel doesn’t change, there’s only so much room for improvement here.
The state of play
Last year: The Lakers became the first team to hoist the NBA Cup, then immediately lost 10 of 13 games, prompting James to declare, “We just suck right now.” They were 17-19 at that point, but they didn’t continue to suck all season — they turned things around in February and finished 47-35 (No. 15 on offense, No. 17 on defense), winning a play-in game in New Orleans and going out with a gentleman’s sweep in the first round. It wasn’t a particularly pleasant season, between all of the drama about Ham’s lineup decisions and rumors about his job security and potential trades.
The offseason: The Lakers flirted with UConn coach Dan Hurley, but on draft night, Redick was drawing up ATOs for Knecht. James reportedly offered to sacrifice money in free agency if it would help the Lakers make a meaningful addition to the roster, but that didn’t end up meaning much — he ended up signing a two-year, $101.4 million near-max deal with a player option on the second season, and the front office didn’t acquire any of its targets. The bigger news was that James became teammates with his son and then won a gold medal alongside Davis in Paris. Quietly, the Lakers re-signed Max Christie to a four-year, $32 million contract and let Taurean Prince and Spencer Dinwiddie walk in free agency.
Best case for 2024-25: James and Davis both play 70-plus games again, and this time the Lakers make the most of it, with Redick winning Coach of the Year honors for presiding over their first top-10 offense of the LeBron era; thanks to a midseason trade, they enter the playoffs with a genuine Big 3 and more than a puncher’s chance of winning a title.
Worst case 2024-25: Davis starts taking more 3s, but rarely makes them, a microcosm of the Lakers’ larger issue: none of the lineups that can reliably get stops can space the floor whatsoever; since they don’t have the same injury luck as they did in 2023-24, they find themselves outside of the play-in late in the regular season, ultimately being eliminated from contention in Game 81 by the Rockets, a team whose bright future provides a stark contrast to Los Angeles’ increasingly bleak one.
The conversation
Lakers believer: I’m so ready for the Redick era. Normally, I’d roll my eyes at a coach with zero professional experience drawing Pat Riley comparisons, but not this time. This man has gravitas. He will immediately command respect from his players, all of whom have been watching him for years, first as one of the greatest shooters in NBA history and then as one of the best broadcasters in the business. More than all of that, he’s so smart about where the game is and where it’s going. I love that the Lakers hired the guy who, during their previous coaching search, said on national TV that it wouldn’t be a good job until they started to build a modern team. The Lakers finished dead last in 3-point attempts on a per-possession basis last season, and there’s absolutely no way that happens with Redick running the show. The only thing I don’t like about this is that he’s out of the podcasting game. “Mind The Game” taught me so much!
Lakers skeptic: It’s telling that you’re starting with the coach. You’re supposed to be Mr. Positive, so you can’t start with the plain fact that the front office failed to address the flaws on the roster. Look, ridiculous Riley comparisons aside, I have no idea how good of a coach Redick will be. Neither do you! It’s entirely possible that he is the perfect guy to bridge the LeBron era and whatever comes next, and it’s also entirely possible that he doesn’t even last as long as Darvin Ham did. If you want your favorite former podcaster to be judged generously, though, I suggest lowering the bar as much as possible. AD played in 76 games last year and made the All-NBA Second Team. LeBron played in 71 and made the Third Team. Despite those enormous blessings, the Lakers were a below-average team. They barely even had a positive point differential.
Redick is not expected to work miracles with this situation.
Lakers supporter: Why are you underestimating the talent on the Lakers roster? Remember that they reached the conference finals two years ago. They had an 18-6 record last season when LeBron and AD played alongside Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, and Rui Hachimura. Redick didn’t take on a team with just two stars and a bunch of average players! He joined a pretty solid team that he can improve by finding small advantages. If they address their issues with creating 3-point shots and win the possession battle more frequently, they can move forward.
Lakers doubter: I didn’t say the Lakers had no talent. I said they were below average, and I stand by that assessment. Their defense at the point of attack is a problem, they lack rim protection, and they don’t have any 3-and-D players. The Lakers needed a significant overhaul in the offseason, but they didn’t make many changes. That 18-6 record doesn’t look as impressive when you consider that many of those wins came against weak teams. Beating the Wizards in overtime doesn’t prove much.
Lakers supporter: In a different offseason, I might be surprised that the Lakers didn’t make more moves, but this was not a typical offseason. The new CBA made trades more complicated, and the Lakers, like many other teams, felt the impact. They tried to acquire Klay Thompson but it didn’t work out. Are you upset they didn’t overspend on Zach LaVine? Making a move for the sake of it isn’t wise. Let’s see what Redick can do with the current roster; the front office can explore trades later on.
Lakers doubter: The Lakers have struggled to build a strong offense since LeBron joined. Their offensive rankings over the years have been consistently low. Waiting to see what happens is reasonable, but history suggests the Lakers will continue to hesitate on making impactful trades. This puts them in a tough spot, especially with LeBron aging. He should be competing in meaningful games, not stuck in a mediocre team.
Lakers supporter: I believe having LeBron and AD means the Lakers are not as far off as you think. The 2020 championship team had success with a few key role players. It’s possible that the solutions to the Lakers’ problems are already on the team. With potential improvements from young players like Max Christie and Jalen Hood-Schifino, the depth of the team could surprise you.
Lakers doubter: What about Bronny? Thoughts on him?
Lakers supporter: I think Bronny has the potential to be a great player in the future. Redick sees him as an elite defender and I admire his shooting and basketball IQ. He’s a long-term project, so there’s no rush for him to play in the G League this season. Let’s not forget he’s supposed to be a college sophomore before criticizing his development.
Lakers doubter: It’s interesting that a player of his caliber would usually not be drafted at all. I look forward to seeing Bronny play alongside his dad; it could be a special moment and possibly the highlight of the Lakers’ season.
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