How many wins will the Lakers finish with this season?
With the regular season beginning, it’s time to predict how high the Lakers will fly under JJ Redick.
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Los Angeles Lakers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The more things change, the more they stay the same for the Lakers.
Darvin Ham is out and JJ Redick is in as coach, but the player pool is largely the same.
The only player changes were Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince’s departures and replacements with Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, two rookies on opposite ends of the development cycle.
Still, at training camp, the feeling was that, under Redick, there is a new level of focus and attention to detail that was never used to describe Darvin Ham’s tenure.
The process didn’t leave too many wins during the preseason, with the Lakers going 2-4, winning those games thanks to the reserve guys pulling off fourth-quarter miracles.
With the regular season getting underway on Tuesday, our SB Nation Reacts survey is all about where the Lakers currently stand after preseason and where they will ultimately end up when the 2024-25 NBA regular season is over.
The debate about the importance of the preseason and how it correlates to regular season success is as old as time itself.
Since the Lakers' stars are a known quantity and the team is largely the same, I think you have to look at player No. 6 and below during this preseason to judge Redick and this team. From that respect I think there were early indicators that the Lakers are heading in the right direction.
After games, Redick stressed the details like screening and giving a focused effort. He mentioned when he was disappointed with effort levels and we saw the team improve from that aspect in the following games.
Will it result in more wins? I’m not sure, but it seems like the right attitude to have and a better approach than the Lakers have had in quite some time.
Unless you care about blowout losses when most of your rotation isn’t on the floor, it’s hard to be pessimistic after this preseason.
It gets tricky when it comes to predicting the Lakers’ record. The process is better, but how does that translate to on-court success when the personnel are the same? Can a rookie coach help a team rise up in a Western Conference that’s as competitive as it is?
In my best Darius Soriano voice, yes and no. Personally, I believe the product will be better and more aesthetically pleasing but will not significantly change the win-loss column compared to last year. I have the Lakers going 47-35, the same record they had last year.
However, if they can make a trade or two and have luck with injuries, I can see a scenario where they creep to 50-plus wins and flirt with a top-four spot in the conference. If they do that, they’ll be a dangerous team to play come playoff time.
That's right, I’m beginning the “as long we have LeBron James and Anthony Davis, we have a chance” early.
It’s a new season, the sun is shining and the Lakers are ready to take the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy out of the brutally cold Boston streets and bring it back to Los Angeles, where it belongs. Everyone starts at 0-0. Ball up top!
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.