The 2024-2025 NBA season began with a bang for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers hadn’t started a season 3-0 since the 2010-2011 season. What was more impressive was the three teams the Lakers beat: the Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, and Sacramento Kings. All three had made big trades or acquisitions over the offseason. All three are considered playoff contenders. At the time, JJ Redick was being compared to Hall-of-Fame coach and Laker legend Phil Jackson. And, in that glimpse of a moment, the Western Conference looked wide open once again.
Since then, the Lakers have gone 1-3. They got beat in Phoenix in a close contest, but after that put up three very unimpressive showings. The Cavs blew them out of the building. The Toronto Raptors without Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, Kelly Olynyk, and Bruce Brown nearly erased a 25-point lead in the second half, but LA eked it out. All of this culminated with a disastrous loss to the Detroit Pistons, long considered the laughingstock of the league.
What’s Going Wrong
For the first three games of the season, the Lakers looked polished and efficient, playing with a high basketball IQ.
The last four have been more of a familiar sight to Laker fans traumatized by the previous Darvin Ham regime. Players took possessions off, they foul-hunted, and, more importantly, the defense has become a major issue.
Anthony Davis is one of, if not, the best defensive player in the league. It’s hilarious, then, that with Davis playing out of his mind on both ends of the floor, the Lakers have the 4th-worst defense in the league. They also give up the most transition points in the NBA.
It’s hard to blame new hire JJ Redick for any of this. In fact, it makes those first three games of the season look like an incredible coaching accomplishment. But unfortunately, there are major limitations on this roster as currently constructed. One could argue that even the great Phil Jackson would lose his mind coaching a roster with these defensive and personnel limitations.
What’s Next for Los Angeles
The truth is, the Lakers have always been on an expiring clock with the Lebron-Davis era. And with LeBron turning 40 this season, time is almost up on whatever championship window Los Angeles has left. It is now or never for the Lakers front office to make whatever moves they can to fix these issues. Otherwise, Lakers fans are all too familiar with what happens next.
Leave a comment