There are only four undefeated teams currently in the NBA through the first week of the season. It’s no surprise to see the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics (3-0) starting the year strongly. Boston is the reigning champs, and Cleveland has the look of a squad ready to make a push up the Eastern Conference.
OKC is the third undefeated squad. Many are predicting the Thunder to win the Western Conference. Some even believe OKC to be a massive threat in winning an NBA Championship. Between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and a budding star in Chet Holmgren, this team is legit.
The fourth and final undefeated team is…the Los Angeles Lakers. Yes — this isn’t a typo. LA beat Minnesota on opening night by a score of 110-103. It was the first time the Lakers had won their season opener since 2016. Wins over Phoenix and Sacramento have since followed.
The reason for this hot start? New head coach JJ Redick.
Albeit a small sample size, there are signs this team is going to be far more effective than the one from last year. From an analytics standpoint, Redick has prioritized taking far more shots — both from three-point range and in the paint. According to NBA.com, the Lakers averaged 3.5 fewer shots than their opponents last year. Through three games, the Lakers have 15 more shots than the teams they’ve played against.
The team is also outscoring opponents by 35 points when Anthony Davis is on the bench. Speaking of which, AD has been going OFF thus far. He averaged 34 PPG, 11 RPG, 1.7 SPG, and 2.3 BPG through the first three games. Davis is getting to his spots on the floor quite well, and that in and of itself is also a byproduct of the scheme adjustments.
Redick has prioritized making Davis the focal point of this offense. There were times during the Darvin Ham era when Davis and LeBron James seemingly ‘took turns’ operating as the primary scoring option. This is no longer the case. James isn’t dominating the ball at the top of the key while teammates stand and watch him take contested 18-footers as the shot clock wound down. Instead, the ball movement has been — dare I say — crisp. It’s resulted in a dynamic offense and one which has recently been lauded by many pundits covering the game.
Redick has also prioritized having the offense run through Austin Reaves as more of a facilitator. It’s not surprising to see Reaves averaging 18 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 6.0 APG. Unlike Ham, who used D’Angelo Russell more in pick-and-roll situations with Reaves off the side, Redick would rather have Reaves handle the ball far more than Russell — who in theory is better as a spot-up guy anyway.
The bench has had a right four-man rotation thus far consisting of veteran Gabe Vincent, youngster Max Christie, former lottery pick Jaxson Hayes, and this year’s rookie Dalton Knecht. Hayes has been terrific as both a lob threat and as someone crashing the offensive boards. Vincent is defending well and not turning the ball over. Christie is still finding his footing, but the ceiling is there for him to develop into a good wing defender. Knecht is leading the bench in scoring, and there’s a world where he becomes part of the closing unit alongside AD, James, and Reaves.
Aside from being visibly better coached, this team is playing with far more energy and effort compared to last year. Redick truly seems to understand how the dynamic of this team should work, and he’s clearly earned the team’s respect as someone who recently competed in the NBA as a player. Jarred Vanderbilt’s eventual return should give the team some additional depth. There are rumors that Walker Kessler could be targeted via trade. Getting another guard could help in some capacity.
While it’s still early, there’s a real sense of optimism around this team — and it’s actually rooted in promise rather than the typical manufactured emptiness surrounding this franchise.
