With the 2024-25 NBA season schedule released last week, many eyes will be on the The Los Angeles Lakers as they begin their first season with JJ Redick at the helm. Before the season begins, we will make our bold predictions about the Lakers.
It was an offseason of change for the Lakers as they fired Darvin Ham after two seasons and hired Redick as new head coachAfter a failed attempt to lure UConn men’s basketball head coach Dan Hurley, the Lakers turned to Redick to help lead the franchise after a tough first-round playoff exit.
Although the Lakers lost five games to the Denver Nuggets in the first round, it’s safe to say that those games were very close and the outcome could have been very different with a different bounce here or there or an extra possession or two.
The fact remains that with LeBron James And Anthony Davis on the list, a championship remains the goal. Both players showed at the Olympics that they were still plays at an elite level. But since the Lakers failed to make any trades or free agent signings this offseason, they’re going to rely on internal development and chemistry to accomplish that goal. With that said, let’s get to our bold predictions for the Lakers’ 2024-25 NBA season.
LeBron James will be in the running for the MVP title
LeBron James is the player who continues to defy time. He just won an Olympic gold medal and was named Olympic MVP. He will be entering his 22nd season in the NBA and will turn 40 before the playoffs. And he shows no signs of slowing down.
But with the Western Conference as strong as it has been in recent seasons, with plenty of young, talented teams looking to make their mark, the Lakers are going to need another superhuman effort from James to stay competitive. But he appears up to the challenge.
If the Lakers can claim a top-five or top-six spot in the Western Conference, James will be a legitimate MVP candidate. He’s coming off a season where he averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 54 percent from the field, 41 percent from three-point range and 75 percent from the free throw line. His three-point percentage is a career-best.
As long as James doesn’t show signs of slowing down, there’s no reason to doubt that he’ll continue to play at an elite level. He knows his chances of winning more titles are getting slimmer with each passing season. Expect a determined and motivated James this season.
Anthony Davis to be voted Defender of the Year
It seems like Anthony Davis has been knocking on the door of the Defensive Player of the Year award for a while now, and this year he finally broke through. Davis was brilliant defensively last season and one of his only criticisms is that he can’t slow down Nikola Jokic. Well, 28 other teams don’t have an answer for him either.
Davis has finished in the top 10 in the DPOY race in six of his 12 NBA seasons, with the 2019-20 season being his best finish of second. One of the biggest reasons Davis is going to be a legitimate DPOY candidate is his health. One of Davis’ biggest issues throughout his career has been his apparent inability to stay healthy.
Last season, Davis played in 76 games, his most since the 2017-18 season. He hadn’t played more than 62 games since that year. He’s one of the best interior defenders in the league, on par with Rudy Gobert and Joel Embiid. The fact that the Lakers are so low in the standings could also have an effect on how voters view Davis.
But if James has an MVP-caliber year leading the Lakers to a top-5 seed, expect Davis to be considered more for the league’s top defensive player award.
JJ Redick will be in the discussion for Coach of the Year
Perhaps the biggest question mark heading into the season for the Lakers is how JJ Redick will fare as a rookie coach. Jumping straight into coaching with no prior experience has had mixed success. Steve Kerr and Jason Kidd are a couple of success stories. Steve Nash and Derek Fisher not so much.
But what’s been lost in all the chatter is that the Lakers weren’t the first team to be mentioned with such interest in Redick as a head coach. would be the Charlotte HornetsThere was obviously some level of intrigue in NBA circles regarding Redick as a coach.
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He was clearly one of the game’s best analysts as a commentator on ESPN and his “The Old Man And The Three” podcasts, and his joint effort with James, “Mind the Game,” showed a deep understanding of the X’s and O’s of the game.
But if the Lakers are in contention for a top-5-6 seed in the West, with much of the same roster as Darvin Ham, Redick will be the focus of NBA Coach of the Year voters.
Max Christie will explode as one of the NBA’s best role players
One of the biggest criticisms from Lakers fans was that Darvin Ham wasn’t using Max Christie properly. The second-year wing was often buried on the bench after a promising rookie year and a breakout performance in the 2023 Summer League.
The Lakers re-signed Christie to a four-year deal in the offseason, so management is clearly invested in his development. And that’s exactly what the Lakers need if they want to stay afloat in the West. They need an infusion of youth and talent. Christie brings a skill set that the Lakers’ rotation needs, a wing player who can handle the ball, create off the dribble and score three-pointers consistently.
He should start the season firmly in the Lakers’ rotation and if Redick gives him consistent minutes, he will be among the best role players in the NBA.
