With the start of the NBA season fast approaching at the end of the month, one of the biggest teams in the organization, the Los Angeles Lakers, looks to start strong under new head coach JJ Reddick in his rookie coaching season.
While the core of the franchise remains in place under the leadership of Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka, off the court and on the court, with the ever-present stardom of Lebron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers will look to take drastic steps to bring themselves back to where they feel they belong: on the top step of the podium, lifting that Larry O’Brien trophy come June.
Looking into what’s in store under coach Reddick, it’s hard to create clear expectations of what the team can achieve under his leadership. Still, narratives can be made from what has been known of him as a veteran player in the NBA and his coaching and approach to the game of basketball from his podcasting career, which even included basketball content with his new star player, Lebron James.
There is renewed hope from Lakers Nation despite the uncertainty with Reddick, which is to be expected after the reign of former coach Darvin Ham, who coached the Lakers for the last two seasons and despite a Western Conference finals appearance in 2023, there was never a full backing from the Lakers fan base as many agreed with his approaches, especially his in-game management.
Early preseason indications have been positive for the Lakers and Reddick, and despite the results not being there on the court results wise many Lakers fans on social media have taken a liking to Reddick’s accountability and how he comes across when discussing his views on the games, results in preseason won’t be looked upon as the goal is preparing for the season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
With the squad Reddick has at his fingertips, expectations from the NBA media aren’t expected to be high, but with a fanbase like the Los Angeles Lakers have and having arguably the greatest player in NBA history in Lebron James on your roster, those high expectations will always be held over your head. Still, nothing so far suggests these tasks will phase Reddick.
A more in-depth look into the Lakers roster and starting five looks to be the same as last season. Granted, everyone is healthy for the Lakers, and although there are so many free agent rumours, the Lakers were not able to land a third star to push the team on as hoped. Still, with players like Anthony Davis, who has started to play at the top level, he has always proved when he is healthy.
If the backcourt of Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell can avoid issues with shooting percentages from the three-point line, there is no reason why this team can’t reach the heights of a deep playoff push as these same players have already achieved.
At this stage, there is always going to be a potential outlook on Reddick as a rookie head coach, but as we continue to approach the 2025 NBA season, we will see how he turns potential into results with the Los Angeles Lakers.