Initial reports from the Lakers’ practice facility suggest that the new coaching staff has a different approach to player development.
Summer routines are often disrupted by international competitions, particularly with over 50 NBA players participating in these Olympic Games.
The Lakers had three players involved: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Rui Hachimura. For those who didn’t compete, mid-August marks the start of serious preparation for training camp, with many players coming back to Los Angeles to begin workouts at the team’s facility.
Workouts this summer have included more live basketball, such as one-on-one and three-on-three drills, compared to previous summers, which focused more on individual, noncompetitive exercises.
This shift could be part of the player development changes that Redick promised when he took the job, changes the organization attributes to new salary cap regulations. However, these adjustments may have been needed for some time.
Aside from Austin Reaves, the Lakers’ homegrown talent pipeline has faced some issues. Talen Horton-Tucker didn’t advance as expected under former coach Frank Vogel, Max Christie is still working to secure consistent minutes, and last year’s rookies, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis, were largely inconsequential.
Nonetheless, both Hood-Schifino and Lewis have received positive feedback during this offseason. This is particularly promising for Hood-Schifino, who was often compared to players selected just after him, like Miami’s Jaime Jacquez Jr., Golden State’s Brandin Podziemski, and Houston’s Cam Whitmore.
Hood-Schifino struggled last season due to a knee injury early on and a back injury that cut his season short. Finding ways to support and develop young, improving players is crucial for Redick as he and the Lakers strive to balance maximizing LeBron James’ current performance with planning for the future.
While it’s uncertain whether these changes will yield significant results this season, it’s clear that the approach within the Lakers’ facility is evolving. Making these kinds of changes was part of the goal this summer.
Here are some quick thoughts on the 2024-25 schedule:
—The period after the All-Star break looks challenging, with games against the Denver Nuggets three times, the Milwaukee Bucks twice, plus the Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Phoenix Suns. This includes a two-game series against the Clippers.
—Including the preseason, the Lakers will be on the road for 11 of their first 14 games.
—The schedule’s road back-to-backs are particularly tough, especially since there’s no certainty on how James and Davis will be managed. The tough stretches include San Antonio-New Orleans, Utah-Minnesota, Charlotte-Philadelphia, Indiana-Chicago, and Oklahoma City-Dallas, with the Thunder-Mavs back-to-back occurring in the final week.
—It’s disappointing that the Lakers have only one trip to New Orleans, and it falls on the second night of a back-to-back.
—For my holiday planning: I’ll be away for Halloween, home for Thanksgiving, away for Christmas, home for New Year’s, and away for Valentine’s Day. I’ll also miss my youngest’s third birthday but will be home for my wife’s. These are the key dates I check on the schedule.
—On Sunday, Dec. 8, the Clippers and Lakers will both have home games at the same time in Los Angeles. This will happen six more times throughout the season, not including two instances where the Lakers play during the day downtown while the Clippers play at night in Inglewood.
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