The Los Angeles Lakers are toeing the line between inactivity and significant improvement. The roster is generally the same, sans the addition of rookies Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, but the organization has taken steps to improve its infrastructure.
The latest decision on that front could go a long way toward improving the weakest area of organizational consistency and success.
Los Angeles replaced former head coach Darvin Ham with JJ Redick just before the 2024 NBA Draft. It's since executed a complete overhaul of its coaching staff and strategic approach to team-building, prioritizing player development along the way.
The Lakers have continued that shift in priorities by hiring Dr. Leroy Sims as the new Director of Player Performance and Health.
The Lakers announce they have hired Dr. Leroy Sims as their director of player performance and health. pic.twitter.com/7jW37KmSvz
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) August 21, 2024
This might seem like a decision that can be glossed over in the short-term, but it speaks to the organization's awareness of its most glaring flaw.
Lakers hope to address glaring injury concerns
The Lakers' general health and availability have been misinterpreted following the 2023-24 season. All of Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and D'Angelo Russell appeared in at least 68 games last season, thus resulting in the belief that injuries weren't an issue.
The entire second unit was ravaged by injuries, however, thus resulting in Los Angeles' bench ranking among the worst in the NBA.
Gabe Vincent was the Lakers' marquee signing last offseason, but appeared in just 11 games during the regular season due to injury. Jarred Vanderbilt, who signed a four-year, $48 million contract extension, was active in just 29 outings.
Christian Wood, meanwhile, missed 32 games and Cam Reddish was absent for 34—thus making it almost impossible for the second unit to find its footing.
The end result was Los Angeles ranking 27th in the NBA in offensive rating. It was a shining example of what prevented the starting lineup's impact from being sustained during games against the top contenders in the Association.
By hiring Sims, the Lakers have made a clear commitment to resolving the injury issues and potentially creating a sustainable resolution to their primary flaw.
The ideal outcome would be the Lakers remaining healthy enough to create a steady pace through the regular season. It's something the team has been generally unable to do throughout the Davis and James era, thus resulting in lower seedings come the postseason.
If the hiring has the expected impact, then the Lakers could finally secure the elusive top-four seed that would simplify the process of making another deep postseason run.