There was a ton of promise with the way the Los Angeles Lakers began their 2024-2025 regular season.

The Lakers raced to a 3-0 record with wins over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Phoenix Suns, and the Sacramento Kings. Anthony Davis was playing out of his mind and reignited his Defensive Player of the Year campaign. JJ Reddick, Dalton Knecht, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura validated Los Angeles’ decisions in the last two seasons. Even LeBron James finally got a victory on a milestone night. 

Facing the Suns for the second time in more or less as many days, the Lakers raced to a 26-8 lead with 5:16 left in the first quarter. Everyone but James was getting it going offensively and that was fine, because James knows when to take over. However, Phoenix was not going to be denied again. 

The Suns rallied and took the lead with 39.1 seconds remaining in the first half, thanks to an offensive flurry from Kevin Durant. Try as they might, Los Angeles could not stop Durant from carrying the load and when Devin Booker found his groove, the Lakers had to take the L. 

At 3-1, Los Angeles matched their best start since 2019-2020, which was when they last won it all. Davis and James were healthy and the roster was built not just to their needs, but to what then Lakers head coach Frank Vogel wanted to run. It seems things are trending in the same direction, even if James has had a slower start compared to then. 

Of course, James is entering Year 22 and will turn 40 in December so the mileage is starting to manifest itself. But, he can still play at a high level. Just ask the Kings. 

So far, James has needed time to get his rhythm and that has so far not been an issue for Los Angeles. After all, their offense looks much more fluid compared to previous seasons. 

Credit must be given to Reddick, who has exceeded expectations with his sets and ability to adjust when circumstances change. It’s been evident that he’s been able to put his personnel on the floor in the best position to score, and that has been key to the Lakers’ pivotal runs in their wins.  

Los Angeles actually had a chance to force overtime against Phoenix with a great play that led to a great shot attempt. However, there are days when the shots simply just don’t fall. 

Reddick’s maniacal approach to coaching is also a welcome development because it means he’s looking to win every game. The talent on the roster is not wasted and that should also foster buy-in from the players even during the rough patches. Going forward, Reddick needs to balance helping James get into the groove with letting the rest of the team find their offensive rhythm. Good offensive production from the rest of the squad will be critical when the injuries hit during the season. 

Are the Los Angeles Lakers title contenders? It would be easy to say yes, but a sample size of four games is too small to really make a conclusion. Nonetheless, this fine start from the Lakers is nothing to scoff at since it does have some parallels to their last title run. Laker Nation would hope it’s a sign of great things to come.