The Los Angeles Lakers are entering a pivotal year in franchise history. The 2024-25 season marks LeBron James’ 22nd in the NBA (7th with the Lakers), rookie Bronny James will be playing with his dad (marking the first time that’s ever happened in NBA history), the Lakers are now led by first time head coach JJ Redick, and, to top it off, the Lakers are still very much looking to contend for another ring.
That’s a lot to process if you’re a Lakers fan or even a basketball fan. Any team with LeBron, even in Year 22, has to be considered at least a playoff threat, especially on a team like the Lakers that has plenty of weapons and an All-Star center in Anthony Davis.
But following an impressive 2019-20 season where the Lakers secured their 17th championship title against the Miami Heat with a 52-19 record over the regular season, they’ve yet to make it back to the Finals and were eliminated from the playoffs twice in the first round (including last season).
This all boils down to the here and now and, ultimately, poses one major question for the Lakers: How serious of a title contender can they be with not only a new head coach but also the additional spotlight and attention that Bronny James will bring to the team?
In this feature, we’re going to review the Lakers title odds from all different kinds of angles and breakdown how realistic this goal is for a franchise that is still trying to make things work with an aging superstar.
Better All-Around Basketball
If the Lakers want to be the intimidating playoff threat they can be in the Western Conference, they’re going to need to shore up some key areas of their play. The first and most pressing concern is defense. Over the 2023-24 campaign, the Lakers were 23rd in opponent points per game (117.4), 25th in opponent three-point percentage (37.6), and 17th in opponent field goal percentage (47.4).
Aside from LeBron and Davis, the Lakers need their key role players to step up and produce lockdown defense this season, especially on the perimeter. And guys like DeAngelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Cam Reddish, Max Christie, and Bronny, don’t scream tight perimeter defense or come with much of it.
In addition, the Lakers have to improve their offensive rebounding, three-point shooting, and minimize turnovers. A season ago, the Lakers were last in the league in offensive rebounds per game (8.2), severally hindering their ability to capitalize on second-chance opportunities. Though the Lakers are playing small with 6’8” Rui Hachimura at the four, they have to be better with their offensive rebounding; otherwise, they could find themselves facing a deja vu finish from a season ago.
Lastly, conceding 14 turnovers a game on average (19th in the league last season) will not lead to the success this team is after, which is something the Lakers will certainly address. But what also has to change, and might be even more important than the turnover issue, is the Lakers three-point shooting.
Some might be thinking, ‘well didn’t the Lakers finish in 8th in three-point percentage a season ago (37.7)?’ And the answer is yes. But what proved to be a head-shaking concern last season, was the fact that the Lakers finished in 28th in three-point shot attempts per game (31.4), highlighting just how little of an influence 3-point shots played into their games.
That will likely change under Redick. However, from efficiency to volume, three-point shooting is a key area the Lakers need to own and dominate if they want to make a serious playoff run in 2025.
The Impact of JJ Redick’s Arrival
Not only is Redick a first-time coach in the NBA, but he was also a former basketball analyst on ESPN and shared a podcast with LeBron himself (though not for very long). This, as one can imagine, poses a lot more questions than answers, including how Redick’s lack of NBA coaching experience will play into their season and what kind of relationship he will have with LeBron, particularly now that his son is on the roster.
Though Redick knows a lot about the game and comes with years of playing experience, running a team that is home to NBA stars and big egos is not a straightforward process, not to mention that the spotlight is constantly on the Lakers with the expectation that they should make the playoffs and compete.
In addition, it’s also important to ask how much of Redick’s bias towards LeBron will get in the way of his coaching? After establishing a good friendship as podcast hosts, Redick and LeBron have shifted their relationship foundation towards a much more serious and business-driven medium, and it makes you wonder just how much sway LeBron will have with making decisions on the court, and, more or less, how much he’ll operate as a player coach.
In short, James is one of the greatest players of all time while Redick’s making his debut as a head coach. Though Redick will lead the group and is the one with the head coach title, pay close attention to how much influence LeBron will have on how things operate on the court, especially with the arrival of his son, who, presumably, he will want to play with throughout the season.
Bronny James and His Role
This leads us to the final point, which is none other than Bronny James himself and the type of role he will have this season for a Lakers team that is trying to win. Bronny, who’s shown spurts of his promise since being selected in the 2024 NBA Draft, has received a lot of skepticism, scrutiny, and overall lack of belief from experts and fans alike that feel the youngster is not ready for the NBA.
Though this has already been put on display to an extent, the fact of the matter is that LeBron will want to play with his son. But key questions that come with this reality include, how much are the Lakers willing to sacrifice to cater this reality, and more specifically, if Bronny becomes a liability, how much will he continue to play?
The fragile balance between appeasement and winning is going to be greatly tested for the Lakers this season, and they decided to take that reality head-on when they not only drafted Bronny but also hired Redick as their next head coach. To add to it, Bronny has only enlarged the magnifying glass the Lakers will be under this season, especially since many are not convinced that Bronny’s NBA-ready.
The best solution for this concern is if Bronny has a breakout season and delivers well above expectations (maybe even lands in the Top 5 Rookie of the Year debate). But one thing that’s a given in the NBA is that you can’t force success. Success is earned, and the Lakers are going to have to decide how much they want to push that envelope with a deep playoff run and a possible title visit on the line.
Final Verdict
The fact of the matter is that a lot has to click for the Lakers to find themselves in the NBA Finals or even make a deep playoff run in what remains to be a very competitive and talented Western Conference. Should the Lakers stay healthy from start to finish (which already has proven to be difficult), they might have a chance at making a surprisingly deep run. But considering all of the points above and also some serious size and depth concerns, the Lakers will likely find themselves battling in the play-in round once again and could very well face an early exit in the playoffs come 2025.