The Los Angeles Lakers are gambling on the current core being enough to deliver a second championship since 2020. It's a risky endeavor, to say the least, as Los Angeles is coming off of a season in which it won 47 games and lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Adding talent would certainly help it pursue a championship, but the theory that Rob Pelinka is banking on is that addition by subtraction will be the Lakers' greatest strength.
It was announced in early May that the Lakers had parted ways with head coach Darvin Ham after two seasons at the helm. During that time, Los Angeles reached the 2023 Western Conference Finals, won the inaugural NBA Cup, and lost in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
Few have questioned what Ham is capable of as a head coach, but the Lakers seemingly concluded that the union had run its course—and, by most accounts, it had.
The results were encouraging, as a trip to the Conference Finals and an In-Season Tournament win imply the Lakers are good enough to contend. They've gone toe-to-toe with top competition, come out on the winning end, and flirted with a second championship in five years.
Unfortunately, there's more to the Lakers' shortcomings than running into Nikola Jokic—and it all begins with addition by subtraction at head coach.
Addition By Subtraction: Darvin Ham
In terms of what went wrong under Ham, look no further than the team's style of play. In 2023-24, the Lakers shot the third-fewest three-point field goals in the NBA, and converted just 11.8 triples per contest—the sixth-fewest in the Association.
One might think that this refusal to shoot more threes was a product of lackluster personnel, but the Lakers actually ranked No. 8 in the NBA in three-point field goal percentage.
Despite the fact that the roster was capable of shooting threes at an arguably elite level, Ham's offensive system discouraged the shot. It's no coincidence that the Lakers, despite playing through All-NBA stars Anthony Davis and LeBron James, were smack dab in the middle of the pack at No. 15 in offensive rating.
Simply embracing their strengths more than they did could've been enough to push the Lakers to the next level on offense—yet, they ignored a top-10 level of efficiency.
It should come as no surprise that new head coach JJ Redick has made it a point to say that the Lakers will shoot more threes in 2024-25. It's perhaps the most obvious example of addition by subtraction, as a philosophical change was nothing short of essential if Ham wasn't willing to make one himself.
It's also worth noting that Ham infamously benched D'Angelo Russell and offered, "No dialogue," as to what the point guard could do to reclaim his starting spot. That issue arose once more in 2023-24 when Ham benched Russell and Austin Reaves, thus causing discontent in the locker room.
It's hard to put everything on just one person, especially when others played their part, but subtracting a coach who had lost the locker room is often the greatest addition of all.
Addition By Subtraction: Injuries
The Lakers extended Jarred Vanderbilt and signed Gabe Vincent for one very simple reason: Their defense. Vanderbilt showcased the potential to be a versatile on-ball defender in 2022-23, while Vincent earned the reputation of a high-level perimeter defensive specialist with the Miami Heat.
Unfortunately, Vanderbilt and Vincent appeared in a combined 40 games during the 2023-24 season—meaning even a minor uptick in availability could change the complexity of the team in 2024-25.
It's easy to overlook injuries when Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and D'Angelo Russell all appeared in at least 68 games. Vanderbilt and Vincent were meant to be two of the best defenders on the roster, however, and losing both meant succumbing to an inevitable outcome.
With Vanderbilt and Vincent expected to be back in the lineup, the Lakers would have a chance to create superior depth and a vastly improved defense.
Considering the 2023-24 team still managed to rank No. 17 in the NBA in defensive rating, it's hard not to be intrigued by what that could mean.
Addition By Subtraction: Limited Minutes
Removing the restraints on promising young players who haven't yet realized their potential will be an essential part of what Redick does with the Lakers. He intends to complete that process in a variety of manners, including the addition of Max Christie as a rotation regular.
Christie re-signed this summer on a four-year, $32 million deal, and will now have an actual opportunity to earn palying time as a 3-and-D specialist.
Lifting the restrictions from key up-and-coming players will be one of the biggest changes to the Lakers' rotation this coming season. Christie and Jalen Hood-Schifino, who played a combined 19.3 minutes per game in 2023-24, have been publicly listed as members of Los Angeles' young core.
With a healthier team, an eagerness to play to their own strengths, and the willingness to let young players develop, this is anything but the same old Lakers team.
Addition by subtraction has given Los Angeles its most realistic and cost-effective chance to improve.