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The Los Angeles Lakers are in a difficult spot. They're coming off a disappointing 4-1 first round loss to the Denver Nuggets, where they led for most of the series but simply could not close the deal, despite the best efforts of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The same Nuggets team had swept the Lakers in the 2023 Conference Finals, and the front office finally fired Darvin Ham only to hire another rookie head coach JJ Redick. However, ESPN remains unconvinced that Redick could turn the Lakers' ship around.
On Thursday, ESPN released their predictions for the 2024-25 season, ranking the Western conference teams from contenders to bottom-feeders. Per their predictions, the Lakers would fall next season to the conference's basement, missing the postseason with a record of 44-38.
What went wrong with the Lakers?
A quiet offseason may have doomed the Lakers' season before it began. After a coaching search that ended in the Dan Hurley fiasco, the front office caved in and hired JJ Redick, who'd already been involved in rumors at the time of Ham's firing. Of course, Redick's podcast with LeBron James fanned the flames, with fans speculating that James may have pulled some levers with the front office, but no one really knows for sure.
Still, fans expected the Lakers to spend free agency signing players who can fill their defensive needs at the guard and big man positions. The tandem of Austin Reaves and D'Angelo Russell can put up a ton of points on the board, but they also give up pretty much the same amount. Likewise, one of their big 2023 acquisitions Rui Hachimura only grabbed 4.3 rebounds a game last season, terrible numbers for a power forward of his size and frame.
They'd planned to use Jarred Vanderbilt as a defensive menace, but injuries ended his season early. Moreover, his offensive limitations make him a situational player who might not see the floor depending on the matchups and game flow.
Other additions Cam Reddish and Taurean Prince showed some promise, but ultimately didn't give enough production for the Lakers to last in the playoffs. During the offseason, Prince had already gone to the Milwaukee Bucks, while Reddish remains with LA.
Moreover, LeBron signed only a two-year, $97.1 million contract this summer, allowing GM Rob Pelinka some financial flexibility to acquire players through free agency or trades. Yet the front office had only drafted Bronny James and Dalton Knecht, who, to be fair, already looks like an NBA-ready player.
Reason to hope
Doom and gloom, aside, though, this same roster went to the Conference Finals just two seasons prior. This is still a good but flawed team, while Bron and AD are still among the top duos in the league. Can JJ Redick pull off a Pat Riley and lead this Lakers squad to the promised land? Or will the Lakers prove ESPN right and continue botching LeBron James' twilight years?
