In April, after the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a second straight playoff defeat by the hands of the Denver Nuggets, LeBron James was requested if he had performed his final sport with the franchise.
“I am not going to reply that,” James replied.
James let his signature do the speaking in July, when the 39-year-old famous person inked a two-year, $104 million contract extension.
Nonetheless, extra questions have surfaced after a consequential summer time that noticed the crew exchange coach Darvin Ham with JJ Redick and choose Dalton Knecht and Bronny James on draft evening.
And, because of a string of position gamers exercising choices on their contracts, the Lakers will return largely the identical roster that completed No. 7 within the Western Convention and needed to attain the playoffs by means of the play-in match.
With lower than three weeks till the beginning of coaching camp, here’s a take a look at 5 main storylines as James embarks on season No. 22, Redick makes his teaching debut and the Lakers chase a return to championship rivalry.
The King’s vary from 3-point land
Typically a coach will need to have his crew carry out in a trend that displays his taking part in type, however the plan Redick shared for James throughout his introductory information convention was next-level mimicry.
“Him and I’ve joked about this, however like, he shot over 40% from 3 this 12 months,” Redick stated. “Like, I would like him capturing 3s.”
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Certainly, James shot 41% final season — the best of his 21-year profession (and never far off the sharpshooting Redick’s profession 41.5% mark). It was up from 32.1% the season earlier than, a leap that James credit to his foot harm therapeutic and having the ability to put within the requisite apply time to hone his shot.
The 8.9% improve was the fourth largest in NBA historical past season to season for a participant with at the very least 300 3-point makes an attempt. One other substantial improve below Redick could be rarer nonetheless, however there may very well be enchancment by the offense creating extra of the precise kinds of appears to be like for James.
James notably excelled at catch-and-shoot 3s (45.4%), which ranked third within the league amongst gamers with 200 or extra makes an attempt, based on Second Spectrum monitoring. This might additionally clarify why the analytics-minded rookie coach stated he needs to combine in additional off-ball motion for James this season.
And there was one space of the courtroom — above the break on the left facet — the place James was elite, connecting on 46% of his 3s from there, per Second Spectrum.
AD’s quest for DPOY
After ending fourth in voting for Defensive Participant of the 12 months final season, Anthony Davis appeared resigned to being ignored for the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy.
“I will by no means get it,” Davis instructed ESPN when requested concerning the award. “They don’t seem to be giving it to me. The league does not like me. I am one of the best defensive participant within the league. I can change 1 by means of 5. I can guard the pick-and-roll one of the best within the league, from a giant standpoint. I block pictures. I rebound.
“I do not know what else to do. I am over it. I am simply going to do what I bought to do to assist the crew win and attempt to play for a championship. Accolades and particular person awards, I am carried out with these.”
We polled our panel of basketball consultants for his or her predictions for the 2024-25 season, together with the most important awards, playoff races and storylines.
• Turmoil, turnarounds and largest questions• MVP, ROY and each main award• Win-loss data for each East crew• Win-loss data for each West crew• Convention and NBA Finals champions
Davis bought the final snicker over the reigning DPOY over the summer time, besting four-time winner Rudy Gobert and France within the Olympic gold-medal sport whereas bringing a defensive edge to Group USA. Davis led the U.S. in blocks (1.5) and was second in rebounds (6.7) and fourth in steals (1.2) whereas rating solely eighth in minutes performed (16.6).
His defensive numbers for the Lakers final season have been dominant en path to a first-team All-Protection choice, becoming a member of San Antonio Spurs huge man Victor Wembanyama as the one different participant to common at the very least two blocks and one steal.
Final season, Davis ranked within the league’s prime 10 in:
Subject objective share allowed within the paint
Subject objective share allowed on post-ups
Subject objective share allowed in isolations
His presence lifted the whole crew, as L.A. held opponents to 60% on layups and dunks with Davis on the courtroom (which might have ranked ninth within the league for the whole season), however that quantity jumped to 65% when Davis sat (which might have ranked twenty ninth).
Whereas there is a case to be made for Davis being again within the DPOY dialog this season, particularly after Gobert’s playoff ineffectiveness within the convention semifinals and occasional benching in Paris, Wembanyama’s star has solely risen since ending second for the award as a rookie.
One factor Davis has made clear to the Lakers, sources instructed ESPN, is his desire to play alongside one other huge extra typically. The Lakers are skinny within the center going into the season with Christian Wooden anticipated to be out for at the very least eight weeks following left knee surgical procedure, leaving Jaxson Hayes and two-way participant Colin Castleton as the one different wholesome facilities on the roster.
Position participant roulette
The Lakers misplaced 190 video games to accidents to 4 position gamers final season: Wooden (32), ahead Cam Reddish (34), ahead Jarred Vanderbilt (53) and guard Gabe Vincent (71).
Wooden and Reddish picked up choices on their contracts to return, regardless of underwhelming campaigns, whereas Vincent, Vanderbilt and second-year guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, who performed in simply 21 video games final season, have been all on multiyear offers.
All of that is to say, whereas the Lakers’ roster would possibly look nearly an identical to final season, the effectiveness of the roster may very well be vastly higher with a rise in availability.
Whereas Wooden underwent surgical procedure final week and Vanderbilt’s foot continues to be not 100%, sources confirmed to ESPN, Vincent, Reddish and Hood-Schifino will probably be able to compete for minutes from the beginning — giving Redick extra choices.
What about Bronny James?
The Lakers’ No. 55 choice within the draft probably acquired extra consideration than each different fifty fifth decide in league historical past mixed.
Then once more, no different No. 55 decide was the son of the NBA’s all-time main scorer.
After a lackluster summer time league exhibiting wherein he made seven of his 31 pictures throughout six video games, Bronny James continued to work out on the Lakers’ services all through the offseason, and the crew stays enthusiastic concerning the 6-foot-2 capturing guard’s potential.
The youthful James signed a four-year cope with the Lakers however is more likely to spend important time within the G League this season. As soon as there, he’ll be coached by new South Bay Lakers coach Zach Guthrie, a disciple of Atlanta Hawks coach Quin Snyder who is anticipated to carry high-level offensive ideas to the crew.
Buying and selling into rivalry?
The Lakers have been quiet on the 2024 commerce deadline and quieter nonetheless within the offseason when it got here to discovering upgrades. However do not count on the crew, which maintained some roster flexibility by remaining below the restrictive second apron, to look the identical within the postseason because it does on opening evening.
L.A. has a number of belongings in its coffers that it may possibly mixture in a possible commerce for a star: its 2029 and 2031 first-round picks; younger expertise on reasonably priced contracts, resembling Knecht, Hood-Schifino and Max Christie; and gamers on midrange contracts, resembling D’Angelo Russell (an expiring $18.6 million deal), Rui Hachimura ($17 million), Vincent ($11 million) and Vanderbilt ($10.7 million).
One title to observe: Jonas Valanciunas of the Washington Wizards. James supplied to take a pay reduce to open up the complete midlevel exception to signal the free agent huge man, however he opted for extra assured cash from a three-year, $30 million deal in Washington.
Nonetheless, the Lakers want a middle, the Wizards do not determine to be contenders this season, and Lakers vp of basketball operations and normal supervisor Rob Pelinka has a confirmed report of getting offers carried out with Washington’s group.
ESPN Stats & Info’s Matt Williams contributed to this story.
