Lakers season debut could be sign front office was right for offseason strategy

It only took one game for the Los Angeles Lakers to make their fiercest critics rethink their evaluations of the team. JJ Redick stunned the masses, conducting a modernized offense and fueling the incessant energy that defined the Lakers' 110-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

One game can only count for so much, but the early returns of the Redick era are beginning to explain why the Lakers remained dormant during the offseason.

Los Angeles let Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince walk, and re-signed Max Christie and LeBron James. It also added Dalton Knecht and Bronny James via the 2024 NBA Draft, and signed Christian Koloko, Quincy Olivari, and Armel Traoré to two-way contracts.

As big names such as Paul George, James Harden, and Klay Thompson hit the open market, however, the Lakers opted to stay the course.

Most understood the limitations of the Lakers' minuscule cap space, but the hope remained that they'd upgrade the roster. Instead, Pelinka prioritized the head coaching hire, with JJ Redick taking on a job that will ask him to bring the best out of the team in place.

So far, the Lakers are playing like the team they quietly became during the second half of the 2024-25 season—and Pelinka's gamble is looking like it may pay off.

Lakers may have been right to believe JJ Redick can elevate the roster

It's easy to look at numbers and get excited, but after just one regular-season game, it's far too soon to do so. The more significant aspect of the Lakers' early form is something that doesn't necessarily need to be quantified: The energy and intensity they've played with.

Los Angeles looks lighter and more engaged on the court, whether it be on the defensive end of the floor, working without the ball, or crashing the offensive glass.

That's all fans can hope for at this juncture, as Redick's broader impact won't be felt until later in the season. What has distinguishably changed, however, is the general approach to the game that the team is taking, including a thorough evaluation of the tactical flaws from a season ago.

That includes a shift in priorities on offense, as Los Angeles is already running off-ball action that it simply wasn't in 2023-24.

Redick's philosophy appears sustainable, as he isn't terribly concerned with statistical results in the short term. He wants his team to create and attempt open shots, even when they aren't going in, due in no small part to his trust in his players' capabilities—an empowering move.

Redick also sees the value in establishing consistent habits and routines, which is why the Lakers continued attempting threes despite shooting 5-of-30 from distance in the opener.

From the opening tip on, it was also abundantly clear that the team isn't content to sit around and wait for loose balls and rebounds to end up where their trajectory suggests they will. They were aggressive in pursuing every opportunity they could, playing in a manner that should yield positive results throughout the season.

At this rate, Redick's team could be closer to the squad that went 27-14 during the second half of the season rather than the group that was 20-21 during the first 41 games.

If nothing else, Redick's giving every Laker a chance to address past scrutiny before the trade deadline—and is thus giving Pelinka one last chance to prove he's built a contender.