The 2023-24 Los Angeles Lakers disappointingly underachieved. head coach darwin hamm A year of good health wasted From Anthony Davis and LeBron James to creating a memorial against vacancy. He was extremely talented, but extremely directionless. After being outmatched at every turn, the Lakers were passive in everything they did and deservedly lost in the first round to the Denver Nuggets. But under new head coach JJ Redick, this year’s team plays more inspired basketball, which is a step in the right direction.
The Lakers are off to a 3-0 start, including wins against the three teams that were ahead of them in the West last season. Each win has given them an opportunity to showcase different strengths. In the 110–103 season-opener win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the defense played perfectly, forcing Anthony Edwards to either take tough shots or throw to Rudy Gobert or Julius Randle in space. On offense, the Lakers fed Anthony Davis, who came into the postseason Great performance in OlympicsLooking slim and bouncy. Davis is very adept at getting stuck in the corner or setting a bunch of meaningless screens. Instead, his team has prioritized getting him the ball in situations where he can make quick decisions.
Davis can be a high-end passer, even if he didn’t get a chance to perform much last season. Coached by Ham, the Lakers ran a Stone Age offense: one guy would do one thing, and everyone else would stand around. What Redick has introduced is more in line with today’s game but seems unprecedented in comparison. The Lakers move the ball quickly and decisively, with great distances around the primary action. Redick has them running beautiful sets, and even as he puts more emphasis on creating for James than simple pick-and-rolls, the team is using more passing and moving than ever under Ham. Seems dedicated to. After years of lackluster ball movement, it’s fun to see them again.
In Saturday’s game against the Sacramento Kings, Davis struggled against his opponent Domantas Sabonis. No matter. James scored 16 points in the fourth quarter to cap a 32-point triple-double in the 131–127 win. The scoring barrage forced Sacramento to tilt its defense toward James, and on the two most important plays of the tremendous scoring run, he made simple plays: a pass out of a double team to Davis for a three to extend the lead, and a Dump – Rui Hachimura goes for a dunk to seal the win.
It’s notable that the Lakers feel like a new team despite only minor changes to the roster. Gabe Vincent has recovered from a knee injury, and rookie Dalton Knecht looks confident and sharp, but there was no complete turnaround this summer. The logical next step is to look at the difference in coaching. designing complex plays And running a sophisticated offense is great, but it doesn’t take a genius to determine that Anthony Davis should get the ball more often. Getting the simple things right is a big part of coaching, and Redick is clearly capable of a lot. Kings head coach Mike Brown kept his best defenders Keon Ellis, Redick on the bench last night gassed his players And maintained the pressure.
“We all bought into what he’s trying to create,” Davis said After the win against the Timberwolves. “I like (Redick) a lot, and I like what he’s trying to build here, what he’s doing. Now it’s our job as players to believe what he’s preaching and practice it. Try to continue.” Now that the new coach has introduced a functional offense for the Lakers, their next challenge will be to get five good minutes out of Bronny James.