Column: Why The Lakers’ Flaws Aren’t Easily Fixable

LeBron James #23, Anthony Davis #3 and Christian Koloko #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers defend Collin Sexton #2 of the Utah Jazz (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

Sometimes, the Los Angeles Lakers look like NBA title contenders. Sometimes, the Lakers look like a team that will either fall in the Play-In tournament or miss the playoffs all together.

Nearly a quarter into the 2024-25 NBA season, the Lakers (13-11) sit in eighth place in the Western Conference and have given off various impressions.  

The Lakers have shown they can beat elite teams. They have shown they are vulnerable with injuries and an inconsistent supporting cast. They have experienced double-digit blowouts because of effort. They have folded in crunchtime because of execution.  

Former NFL coach Bill Parcells concluded that “you are what your record says you are.”

Nonetheless, challenges emerge when deciphering the Lakers’ record, both in terms of their potential and what they can do to address it.  

Sometimes, LeBron James performs like an ageless generational star that can still perform at an elite level through his strength, skill and smarts. Other times, James has shown his basketball mortality in his 22nd season with his stamina, inconsistent 3-point shot (35.9%) and turnovers (4.1 per game).

Sometimes, Anthony Davis plays like an MVP and Defensive Player of the Year candidate with his positional versatility. Other times, the Lakers’ lacking front-court depth and poor perimeter defenders leaves Davis seriously vulnerable.

Sometimes, JJ Redick looks like a proven first-year head coach with his savvy rotations, smart play-calling and locker-room respect stemmed from an accomplished NBA career as a valued role player. Other times, Redick becomes so emotional with every loss that you wonder if he will burn out by the end of the season.

Sometimes, the Lakers look like they have enough depth with a quality playmaker (D’Angelo Russell), a rookie shooter (Dalton Knecht) and a scrappy competitor (Austin Reaves). Other times, the Lakers’ depth looks diminished amid overlapping injuries and inconsistent play.  

How do the Lakers address all of these issues? It’s not easy. That’s because the potential short-term and long-term solutions neither seem appealing nor enough.

Theoretically, the Lakers can improve with more time.

Following two lengthy trips this season, the Lakers have more time to rest James nearly three weeks before he turns 40. They have more time for a valued guard (Reaves) and three important frontcourt players (Jarred Vanderbilt, Jaxson Hayes, Christian Wood) to heal their respective injuries. They have more time for Redick to find the correct roster combinations that also include Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura and Cam Reddish.

All of that could make the Lakers become as strong as when they ranked as high as fourth place in the Western Conference this season. That could also still leave the Lakers vulnerable because of the fluidity with those circumstances.  

Though we should never bet against LeBron, we should also assume he will feel more strain. Though the Lakers expect Reaves and Hayes to return soon, the Lakers lack the same clarity with Vanderbilt and Wood. Though Redick will improve as a coach, he can only do so much with a flawed roster.  

That begets another problem. The Lakers don’t have many longer-term solutions leading into Feb. 6, 2025 trade deadline.  

Ignore the rumblings about a possible James-Stephen Curry partnership with the Golden State Warriors after teaming up to win gold in the Paris Olympics. The Lakers won’t trade James. He won’t ask for one. And the Warriors won’t gut their roster just to pair James with Curry, a necessity given James’ star power and salary.  

James has already had two chances to leave the Lakers, anyway, both when the Warriors expressed interest during last year’s trade deadline and when he became a free agent last summer. James stayed each time. Despite the Lakers’ inconsistency, it seems hard to fathom James leaving the Lakers after they drafted Bronny with their No. 55 pick.  

Unlike past seasons, the Lakers shouldn’t be beholden to roster continuity and draft picks. We have seen the continuity doesn’t yield enough results. The Lakers owe to their fanbase, James and Davis to willingly deal future draft capital. The only challenge: what will those assets actually yield in return?

That shouldn’t inhibit the Lakers’ coaching staff and players trying to improve from within. As shown through nearly two months of basketball, though, the Lakers have seen that improving on the margins cannot overcome the team’s numerous injury and chemistry issues. That leaves the front office with a tough job. They need to upgrade their talent potentially without enough assets to do so.