3 Important Lakers lessons learned in first week of 2024-25 regular season

The Los Angeles Lakers aced the first week of the 2024-25 NBA regular season. Faced with three postseason-caliber teams, a back-to-back, and the unenviable task of playing for a first-year head coach who's learning on the fly, Los Angeles shockingly prevailed against each of its opponents.

With a 3-0 record heading into the second week of the 2024-25 season, the Lakers have given fans every reason to feel optimistic about what the future may hold.

JJ Redick has exceeded all expectations during his first three regular season games as a head coach. He's led Los Angeles past three teams that won at least 46 games last season, all of which were coached by proven commodities in Mike Brown, Mike Budenholzer, and Chris Finch.

It remains unclear whether the Lakers will maintain an elite level of play moving forward, but what's undeniable is that this is a different team despite the nearly identical roster.

Los Angeles has been playing in a way that's inspired even the most staunch of critics and skeptics to second-guess their projections. The ball is moving, players are working without it, and the effort on both ends of the floor has taken a significant step forward.

With three key takeaways from the first week, it can be adequately summarized that the Lakers are playing in a way that bears no resemblance to the team from 2023-24.

1. Lakers are going to shoot good shots, even if they don't go in

The season opener was an encouraging example of the type of offense Redick wants the Lakers to execute. That might cause a level of concern in some camps, as Los Angeles shot 16.7 percent from beyond the arc, but the film reveals far more than the box score.

Redick pushed the Lakers to shoot good shots, regardless of if they ended up falling, and the end result was vastly improved performances during the second and third games of the week.

Los Angeles followed its 5-of-30 shooting against the Minnesota Timberwolves by knocking down 14 of its 27 attempts from beyond the arc against the Phoenix Suns. A day later, it shot 14-of-34 from distance—translating to 41.2 percent.

Beyond the numbers, the film reveals that the Lakers are working without the ball to create open looks and firing at will when they present themselves.

There will inevitably be games like the Timberwolves encounter where the shots simply aren't falling. Rather than being discouraged by that fact, Redick is empowering his team to play with an aggressive streak. They're taking what the defense gives them while constantly running action to generate the best possible shot.

Whether that results in a play in the paint, a midrange jumper, or a three-point field goal, the Lakers are embracing a new mentality on offense—and they've scored 254 points over the past two games.

2. Lakers are trying significantly harder on the offensive glass

An argument could be made that no weakness was more glaring in 2023-24 than the Lakers' refusal to crash the offensive glass. That might seem like a harsh description, but no team came close to the way that Los Angeles disregarded rebounding on that end of the floor.

In 2024-25, the Lakers have already executed a complete culture change centered around a more energetic approach to everything offense—rebounding included.

In 2023-24, Anthony Davis ranked No. 1 in the NBA in second-chance points and in the top 10 in offensive rebounds per game. Somehow, the Lakers managed to rank dead last in both of those categories as a team—by comfortable margins, no less.

Thankfully, Redick has made a concerted effort to ensure that the bad habits established in 2023-24 have been erased in that area.

Davis continues to be a monster on the glass, but he's far from the only one. Austin Reaves is averaging 2.7 offensive rebounds per game through three appearances, while Rui Hachimura is pulling down a team-leading 3.0 and Jaxson Hayes checks in at 1.7.

It's too soon to value statistics, of course, but the group effort to correct an undeniable flaw has been a joy to watch.

3. The superstar dynamic has changed for the better

Many coaches have said that they want to make Anthony Davis the offensive focal point, but JJ Redick is actually doing it. 39-year-old superstar LeBron James has thus taken a step back, approaching the offensive end of the floor in a more selective and situational manner.

That shift in the superstar dynamic has benefited the Lakers up to this point, as Davis' status as the hub of the offense has driven the team to a 3-0 record.

Davis has joined Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, and Jerry West as the only players in Lakers history to start the season with three consecutive 30-point games. He's been a monster on both ends of the floor, directing traffic and stepping up with clutch plays late in the fourth quarter.

James, meanwhile, attempted 29 shots between the first two games before going off for 32 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Kings.

It was a perfect display of how the superstar dynamic has not only changed, but better positioned the Lakers to contend. Clearly, playing through a 31-year-old Davis makes more sense than putting that burden on a 39-year-old James. Beyond the obvious point, however, is the simple fact that the offense flows more smoothly given Davis' less ball-dominant approach.

With this pattern established, James can take over when the team needs him to instead of having to carry the burden on a nightly basis. So far, 3-0 looks so good.