No matter how skeptical the general public may be, the Los Angeles Lakers will be relevant in postseason discussions for as long as Anthony Davis and LeBron James are on the roster. In five years as teammates, they've won a championship, reached a second Conference Finals, and made four postseason appearances.
If Davis and James are going to lead the Lakers as far as they hope to go, however, then the supporting cast must raise their game this coming season.
The Lakers will enter the 2024-25 season with a roster that bears a striking resemblence to that of the 2023-24 campaign. Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince have been replaced by Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, but little else has changed from one season to the next.
Operating with this in mind, it's become abundantly clear that the Lakers believe this team is closer to the 2023 Western Conference Finalist than the 2024 squad that lost in the first round.
If that's going to prove true in the end, then Davis and James will need their teammates to step up. Both are still All-NBA players, but as James approaches his age-40 season and Davis carries an unrivaled two-way burden, the other Lakers must simplify the game for them.
Thankfully, the following statistics showcase exactly how the other Lakers can take some of the pressure off of Davis and James in 2024-25.
Honorable Mention: Dalton Knecht, 39.7 Percent on 3-Point Field Goals
Incoming rookie Dalton Knecht will be trusted to provide an instant impact during his rookie season. Thankfully, he has the tools to be a three-level scorer with prototypical size, quickness, and leaping ability for a wing, as well as a well-rounded skillset.
When all else fails, he should be one of the best shooters to emerge from his draft class—and his 39.7 percent shooting from distance during the 2023-24 season is proof of that.
Knecht ranked in the top 10 in the country in points per game last season and was a regular threat to score 30-plus points. He'll have time to develop his all-around game as a scorer in the NBA, but his jump shot will be leaned on early after he averaged 2.6 three-point field goals made per game on 39.7 percent shooting from distance as a junior at Tennessee.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick has already informed Knecht that he'll be trusted to move without the ball to create open shots, and there's ample reason to believe he'll be up to the task.
Rui Hachimura: 17.8 PPG
Rui Hachimura has become one of the most important players on the Lakers. When he's on his game, he's a well-rounded scoring threat who utilizes his size, strength, athleticism, and shooting range to keep an opposing defense on its heels.
Unfortunately, the Lakers never gave Hachimura the chance to live up to his full potential—despite the fact that he began to do so whenever consistent playing time was given to him.
In 2023-24, Hachimura averaged 17.8 points during the 24 games in which he received at least 30 minutes of playing time. He didn't just shoot blindly until something fell, but instead knocked down an absurd 55.8 percent of his field goals and 42.5 percent of his three-point attempts.
Considering Hachimura averaged 18.2 points per 36 minutes in 2023-24, it's fair to believe he can actually hit that figure with regular playing time in 2024-25.
Austin Reaves: 55.5 Field Goal Percentage on Drives
Over the past two seasons, Austin Reaves has become perhaps the most reliable Lakers player after Davis and James. He's a dynamic isolation player who can create for himself and others, as well as an effective off-ball option who can knock down open shots.
As James approaches his age-40 season, there's one key area in which Reaves must continue to thrive: Dribble penetration.
In 2023-24, Reaves was second on the Lakers in drives per game—with only James attacking the basket more often. The 26-year-old shot 55.5 percent from the field on those plays, signaling a combination of mindset and efficiency that will be essential to Los Angeles' success in 2024-25.
If Reaves can build upon that success, then the burden on James' shoulders will be alleviated and the Lakers will be able to navigate the regular season with significantly better results.
D'Angelo Russell: 226 3-Point Field Goals Made
For all of the talk about the need to trade D'Angelo Russell, there's one simple fact that can't be overlooked: It's going to be a tall task to find equal value. Russell may have his flaws, but he's one of the most productive guards in the NBA.
For a Lakers team that ranked No. 24 in the NBA in three-point field goals made in 2023-24, no truth is more significant than the fact that Russell is the best shooter on the team.
Russell finished the 2023-24 regular season with a franchise record 226 three-point field goals made. He shot 41.5 percent from beyond the arc, which was the second-best mark of any NBA player who converted at least 220 shots from distance in 2023-24.
If Russell is still on the roster in 2024-25, then his elite three-point shooting will be essential to helping Davis and James pace the Lakers through the season.
Jarred Vanderbilt: -5.7 Defensive Rating Differential
Shortly before the commencement of the 2023-24 regular season, Jarred Vanderbilt signed a four-year, $48 million contract extension with the Lakers. It was a calculated investment in a player who had established himself as the best defender on the team after Davis.
Unfortunately, Vanderbilt appeared in just 29 games for the Lakers during an injury-plagued 2023-24 campaign.
Thankfully, Vanderbilt utilized the minutes he was able to play to prove that Los Angeles was right to invest in what he brings to the table. The Lakers allowed 109.4 points per 100 possessions when Vanderbilt was on the court, with that number jumping to 115.1 when he wasn't.
In other words: Vanderbilt made the Lakers 5.7 points better on the defensive end of the floor when he was available. Redick will need more of that in 2024-25.
Gabe Vincent: 12.7 PPG
The Lakers made Gabe Vincent their marquee signing of the 2023 offseason. After shining with the Miami Heat en route to the 2023 NBA Finals, Vincent signed the dotted line on a three-year, $33 million deal with Los Angeles.
Much like Vanderbilt, however, Vincent instantly fell victim to the injury bug and appeared in just 11 games during the 2023-24 regular season.
In 2024-25, Los Angeles will be hoping to see the player who averaged 12.7 points per game during the 2023 NBA Playoffs. That might not sound like an awe-inspiring number, but Vincent produced double-figure scoring averages in every round of that postseason—including the NBA Finals.
Throw in five 20-point games during that run through the 2023 NBA Playoffs and the fact that the Lakers were No. 28 in bench scoring in 2023-24, and Vincent could set a new tone in Los Angeles.