The Los Angeles Lakers have a fresh and different feel in 2024-25 with JJ Redick as the new head coach. They got off to a hot 3-0 start before losing two straight games, but LeBron James and company were able to get things back on track on track on Friday night when they picked up a 131-125 win against the Toronto Raptors.
One of the big reasons for the Lakers’ early-season success has been Anthony Davis. Davis has been one of the best players in the NBA for a while, but he looks like a true MVP candidate through six games. He continued that on Friday night with a dominant 38-point, 12-rebound performance. Davis also made his presence felt on the defensive end, blocking two shots and recording three steals.
Davis made a little bit of history during his latest masterclass. He became the first player to record 20 points, a steal and a block in each of his team’s first six games of the season since Karl Malone in 1993-94, according to OptaStats.
Davis has been a force this season and has picked up the slack for the Lakers while LeBron James has gotten off to a slow start. Entering Friday, Davis was averaging over 30 points and 12 rebounds per game, and those numbers only improved in Toronto.
Lakers look like playoff contenders in 2024-25
The Lakers caught a lot of heat for not making a big, splashy move to improve their roster this offseason, but the early returns on this group look pretty good. New head coach JJ Redick has started his coaching career 4-2, and the team looks much better under his leadership than it did under Darvin Ham.
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The biggest difference is on the offensive end, where the Lakers have become one of the more fun units to watch in the NBA with their free-flowing style with plenty of player and ball movement. The addition of rookie Dalton Knecht has opened up the floor when he is in the game, and he has shown the ability to knock down shots off the bounce and create some offense for himself.
Perhaps the best news for the Lakers is the fact that LeBron James hasn’t even gotten going yet, even as the team is winning. James had good night against the Raptors — 27 points and 10 assists — but he came into the game averaging just 21 points and almost seven assists per game.
With Anthony Davis playing like an MVP candidate, the Lakers will be extremely tough to beat on a nightly basis. Once James gets fully back into the swing of things, they have a chance to seriously contend for a top-six seed in the Western Conference. Outside of Oklahoma City, a lot of the conference’s top teams have been struggling to start this season, so it’s not out of the question that the Lakers could sneak into that conversation.