There will be an expectation of change for the L.A. Lakers this season, despite a lot of things staying the same for the organization.
The NBA Draft brought two new pieces to the team, whose projected impact on the 2024-25 season feels relatively unclear. Dalton Knecht should have an opportunity to make a difference this season, but Bronny James will be a massive question mark.
The Lakers’ biggest free agency splash this offseason was the recent addition of Christian Koloko. That could actually prove to be a sneaky-good acquisition in the long run.
The biggest difference for the Lakers heading into the 2024-25 season is the bench boss. After firing Darvin Ham, the franchise elected to go with a fresh face for their head coaching position. They brought in JJ Redick as the new sheriff in town.
Redick will enter 2024-25 with no major coaching experience. That is a point that his critics have already been happy to address. Redick did not hesitate to be very candid in his response to those critics.
“I really don’t give a f***. I want to coach the Lakers. I don’t want to dispel anything. I want to win championships. I want my players to maximize their careers. That’s all I f***ing care about.” -Redick
Other than his former podcast partner, LeBron James, Redick has already captured the attention of another one of his players. D’Angelo Russell cited his new head coach as a big reason that he decided to opt in on his player option and return to the Lakers.
Russell said the following statement to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
“I love what JJ is about and I really see myself thriving under his guidance to help win at a high level.” -Russell
Russell thriving under Redick would go a long way to the Lakers having a successful campaign in the 2024-25 season. With the way the roster has been constructed, the Lakers point guard will be the third most important player for the team this year.
The Heartbeat Of The Lakers
James and Davis remain the team’s driving force
Before getting to why Russell is crucial for the Lakers, the obvious needs to be stated. This team will only go as far as the duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis can take them.
A problem that has plagued the Lakers in recent seasons has been the inconsistent availability of James and Davis. If that issue were to rear its ugly head in 2024-25, it is tough to imagine the Lakers keeping up in a stacked Western Conference.
The good news is that the duo did not encounter those problems in 2023-24. Both players were mostly available and performed at a very high level.
After the season was over, the duo also participated in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as members of Team USA. James and Davis were two of the more important players during that run.
The encouraging part of the Olympic Basketball Tournament for the Lakers was watching James be the best player for the team. This should leave the Lakers organization and their fans with plenty of reasons to be excited.
The duo of James and Davis are a proven championship-winning formula. They just need the surrounding pieces to offer strong support if they want to seriously establish themselves as contenders in the 2024-25 season.
Russell’s Importance To The Lakers
The Lakers point guard could be the biggest swing factor in 2024-25
The Lakers were in the mix of a lot of rumors this offseason. There was some feeling that the team might pursue adding a third star behind James and Davis.
In the end, nothing materialized. In all fairness, in relation to specifically trading for a third star, their last experience in that department did not pan out in their favor.
There will certainly be Lakers fans out there who are disappointed with the offseason that the organization had. However, the formula that won a championship in the 2019-20 season never featured a third star. It was a handful of good players that knew how to contribute effectively.
Russell’s play, in that regard, will be one of the biggest swing factors for the Lakers. With no third star, there still needs to be a reliable offensive presence behind James and Davis that the Lakers should feel comfortable turning to.
Some may choose to argue Reaves here instead. However, Russell’s overall offensive arsenal is much larger, making him the more natural candidate.
The problem for the Lakers last season was Russell’s inconsistency. It was something that had their former head coach frustrated and openly venting to the media.
“It’s amazing how people just skip that core part of having consistency with your lineup is all predicated on health and performance. If you’re coaching a team and one of your starters is like 10 games in a row, just sh*tting the bed, what are you going to do?” -Ham
Taking a shot at one of your own players is never a good thing. However, it would be disingenuous to completely dismiss what Ham was saying here.
There is a lot of truth in saying that the Lakers lived and died because of Russell’s performances last season. There is a very noticeable disparity between his numbers in wins and losses.
One would imagine that Russell will continue to have a sizable role in the offense for the Lakers under Redick. The roster construction necessitates a strong season from him in order for the Lakers to be a competitive team.
The Clock Could Be Ticking On His Time In Los Angeles
Russell could be important to the Lakers in another fashion
There is a medium-sized elephant in the room with regard to this discussion as well. The Lakers may not have made a big move in the offseason, but that is not necessarily preventing them from keeping their ears open leading up to the trade deadline.
Perhaps the Lakers could pursue someone like Jimmy Butler, if the Heat make him available at some point next season. If the organization was going to pursue a third star, Russell would all but surely be on his way out of Los Angeles.
Russell’s contract paired with Rui Hachimura’s deal would likely be the basis of any trade involving a potential third star. From there, the Lakers would simply need to hope they can find the leverage with a desperate trade partner, as their asset pool is fairly scarce.
Russell will be entering the final year of his deal in 2024-25. If a strong desire does not exist to keep him around past this season, his real importance to the Lakers could come as a trade piece. Even in that scenario, the organization would be hoping for a strong season from their point guard.
There are several ways to arrive at the conclusion being presented today. However, the statement remains the same regardless. Russell’s importance to the Lakers is at an all-time high