The Los Angeles Lakers are set to kick off the “lake show” against the Minnesota Timberwolves next Tuesday night, boasting a similar roster from last year. The Lakers retained star players LeBron James and Anthony Davis while adding a select few rookies and newcomers.
As a whole, the Lakers are still struggling with some of the injuries they suffered last season. Eight-year veteran Christian Wood is still recovering from a left knee injury, but after successful surgery this offseason, he should be ready to go in the season’s early months. Lock-down defender Jarred Vanderbilt also underwent surgery, having suffered a mid-foot sprain last year. Head coach JJ Reddick said that Vanderbilt is following a ramp-up protocol to be on track to start the season healthy.
Los Angeles added promising young talent, with former USC guard Lebron “Bronny” James Jr.—LeBron James’ son— and small forward Dalton Knecht leading the Lakers’ rookie class. While James Jr. and Knecht had contrasting college careers, both have the potential to be solid contributors in their own ways and showed promising glimpses of talent in the summer league and preseason.
The biggest acquisition of the Lakers’ offseason isn’t a player, though.
Los Angeles signed former NBA shooting guard and ESPN commentator JJ Redick to a four-year contract worth approximately $32 million, according to Sports Illustrated. The signing came after the Lakers failed negotiations with UConn head coach Dan Hurley, who ultimately decided to continue coaching for the Huskies as they seek a third straight NCAA title.
Redick will have his hands full this season as he picks up a Lakers team that failed to make it out of the first round of the playoffs last year.
JJ Redick has already started the turnaround by working with the lineup that had the best plus-minus last season. The lineup consists of guards D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves, forwards Lebron James and Rui Hachimura, and center Anthony Davis. This is the projected starting lineup that will be seen next Tuesday.
The Lakers return a solid amount of talent, but some players have something to prove this year after injuries or down years. Guard Gabe Vincent struggled to work his way back into his usual style of play because of a knee injury that he suffered four games into the 2023-24 NBA season. He missed the next 23 games after the injury, and when he returned, he posted statistics well below those of his rookie year. Fellow guard D’Angelo Russell also underperformed last season during the most important time of the year in the playoffs.
His career averages in the playoffs are average for a guard with his talent, posting 14.2 points and 4.8 assists per game. However, Russell has struggled to put up these numbers in crucial games for the Lakers, most notably in Game 3 of the first round of the playoffs last season against the Denver Nuggets, when he went 0 for 7 from the field. Russell posted another poor performance in Game 5, where he shot 2 for 10 from beyond the arc in an elimination game the Lakers ended up losing.
With the veteran presences of Lebron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers have a squad that can surpass the 45-win mark. It won’t be easy given how competitive the Western Conference has become, with teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota likely to repeat the seasons they had.