Predicting Where Lakers Land In 2024-25 Western Conference Standings

Where will the Lakers land in the West this season?

The Los Angeles Lakers will enter the NBA season looking to push even farther in the postseason following an early exit. Los Angeles was bounced in the first round last season by the Denver Nuggets, leading to a change in the head coaching position.

Former NBA guard JJ Redick comes in to replace Darvin Ham and he will be tasked with maximizing this group of players. Redick has stayed around the game of basketball as both a broadcaster and podcaster since his retirement.

The Lakers will be looking to go on another title run despite a fairly quiet summer. Los Angeles hasn't made any significant upgrades to the roster despite the team finishing as a play-in squad once again last season.

It will be up to Redick and the new coaching staff to fully optimize the Lakers roster this season. Redick has said that he wants the team to focus more on 3-point shooting to see the offense become more modern.

With stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the roster, the Lakers at least have a fighting chance in the loaded Western Conference. Teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, and Phoenix Suns should be better.

The Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, and Houston Rockets all likely take another step this season. So where does that leave the Lakers?

With where the roster currently stands, Los Angeles is likely a play-in team once again. They reached the postseason as a play-in team last year with a relatively healthy year from James and Davis.

However, that can't be expected to happen again. The two stars are still playing at a very high level but need more help from the supporting cast.

Guard D'Angelo Russell, forward Rui Hachimura, and guard Austin Reaves are the three main supporting players for the Lakers, giving Los Angeles a decent chance on the floor. Each player has shown flashes of greatness over the last few seasons but the team needs more consistency from each.

Reaves is the third-best player on the Lakers and he will likely be relied upon even more this season. He showed that he can handle the spotlight and has even gotten better when the lights are brightest.

The other teams in the West either got better or grew in terms of experience so the Lakers will have a challenge ahead of them. But this franchise always seems to have a trick up their sleeve so there is a possibility that it happens again before the year starts.

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