The Los Angeles Lakers know exactly who they’ll be rolling with to do their heavy lifting for the 2024-25 NBA season.
Lakers head coach JJ Reddick was a recent guest on ESPN’s “The Lowe Post” podcast, where he divulged who his starting five will be in Los Angeles for the upcoming campaign (h/t Yahoo Sports’ Jack Baer).
The Lakers will start the year with a strong starting five led by LeBron James
Redick’s executive decision is very similar to the five-man lineup that was out on the floor for the Lakers for the bulk of the 2023-24 season. L.A. will be spearheaded by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and supported by Rui Hachimura in the front court. Those three will be joined by D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves in the backcourt. That quintet went 23-10 in 2023-24.
The Lakers already know what they’re going to get from their superstars in James and Davis, that being All-NBA-caliber scoring and impact on winning. As for their supporting cast, Reaves was the only one among the starters who played all 82 games last time out, yet he started in 57 of those contests.
Therefore he’s in line to see a boost if his health and play — headlined by his 15.9 points and 5.5 assists per game on 48.6 percent shooting from the field — hold up. Meanwhile, Russell started in 69 of the 76 games he played, but could see himself get traded next season amid a wave of rumors this offseason.
Rui Hachimura is the one starter in line for the biggest increase in opportunities. He ran with the first five in 39 of 68 matchups he appeared in. The Lakers have high hopes that he can continue to elevate his play and be an even more assertive offensive weapon and defensive threat next time out.
- Lakers head coach adds hype to the offseason with starting five announcement
- Lakers could form scary defense by trading for two elite 3-and-d point guards
- Lakers: LeBron James ‘lost focus’ while training with newest teammate, eldest son
The Lakers have a starting five on paper that could win the 2025 NBA Finals
On paper, the Lakers have everything a championship team could want. They have one of the greatest players to ever play in James running their show, who has not lost a step even at 39 years old and 21 years into the league. They have a superb talent in Davis who played in north of 70 games last season for the first time since 2017-18, a gifted passer and three-point shooter in Russell that can close the show for them in the clutch, and two energetic young stars in Reaves and Hachimura that have that dog factor that allows them to find their own shot and not be liabilities on offense.
Los Angeles won 47 games last year. If this starting five is all healthy and on the court together for the vast majority of the upcoming campaign and develops continuity throughout the year, they could crack 50 wins and establish themselves as true title threats in 2024-25. Redick, a first-time head coach, has the basketball mind and respect among players to orchestrate what could be a sweet-sounding symphony next season.
