It seems like just yesterday the NBA regular season was preparing for liftoff. Today, we are fully immersed in the thick of the NBA universe, with 11 games now in the rearview mirror. In the case of the Los Angeles Lakers, the good has (surprisingly) largely outweighed the bad thus far in the journey towards whatever lies ahead.

At 7-4, the Lakers currently hold the 6th spot in the unforgiving Western Conference. That is a slight improvement from their 6-5 start a season ago, and a massive upgrade from their treacherous 2-9 start to the 2022-2023 campaign. They are presently on track to outperform their mediocre preseason predictions, and look a ton more competent than most NBA analysts projected prior to opening night.

Here are 11 early season observations from the Lakers first 11 games of the 2024-2025 season.

1: JJ REDICK WAS THE CORRECT CHOICE TO COACH THIS TEAM

With a grand total of 0 games coached at any level on his resume, JJ Redick certainly lacked the experience that most candidates require to take the reigns of an NBA roster. Regardless, there has been clear evidence of the wisdom and intellect Redick possesses via his time broadcasting and podcasting. The poise that he carries himself with combined with his passionate desire for victory made him an ideal man to lead one of the most polarizing franchises in all sports. And his companionship with arguably the greatest player in the history of this game was just a cherry on top.

2: THE AD ERA IS UPON US

This is the best version of Anthony Davis we have ever seen, and it should be a surprise to no one that he currently sits atop the MVP ladder. His numbers speak for themselves: 10 GP, 34.8 MPG, 30.2 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 2.8 APG, 2.1 BPG, 1.2 SPG + 56% FG/40% 3FG/80% FT. If he can sustain this level of play and stay healthy, we could/should finally see AD receive some well-deserved individual hardware.

3: LEBRON JAMES IS EXTRATERRESTRIAL

A 39-year-old (40 in a month) human being simply should not be capable of doing the things that LeBron James is doing this season. The King is still dominating the competition, and he is still making it look effortless in the process.

4: AUSTIN REAVES IS HERE

Remember the Austin Reaves we saw throughout the 2023 NBA playoffs? He is back, only now he is ALOT better. AR-15 has cemented himself as the 3rd best player on this team, and could be en route to his first All-Star game appearance if/when his ascension continues.

5: DALTON KNECHT IS COMING

It is still astonishing that Knecht fell to the Lakers at #17 in this year’s draft. He has been far from spectacular in the beginning phase of the year, but he has been solid nonetheless. His offense is what he is known for, but the rookie has actually been silently superb on the defensive end. After hitting all 5 of his triple tries last time out in last night’s dub over Memphis, watch out for Dalton Knecht as he continues to get more comfortable and confident playing at the NBA level.

6: D’ANGELO RUSSELL IS GOING

Poor D’Lo. The dude has realistically been a seamless tertiary weapon behind LeBron and AD over the past 2 seasons, but the rise of Reaves combined with his sluggish start to the season has quickly landed Russell a demotion from the starting lineup. His time in Los Angeles seems numbered with trade season looming.

7: MAX CHRISTIE IS A MYSTERY

After receiving a ton of praise from his peers in training camp, Max Christie looked ready to make a leap throughout the preseason. He never really received a fair shot at a rotation spot with Darvin Ham on the sideline, but that seemed certain to change with Redick’s arrival. Unfortunately, he is actually averaging 1 minute per game less than he was last year. If he cannot turn things around and start contributing at a consistent pace, his new contract could be used in a trade package to acquire someone who can.

8: GABE VINCENT’S GOTTA GO

You could honestly make an argument that Gabe Vincent has been the worst player in the entire NBA this season. That’s it. That’s the observation.

9: RUI HACHIMURA IS AN ASSET

Rui Hachimura has been tremendous so far. He has come out of the gates absolutely on fire shooting the ball, hitting 50% of his 3’s on moderate volume (3.6 attempts per night). While he is undoubtedly an extremely valuable member of this team, other teams have definitely taken notice of his continued progression. If the Lakers wind up swinging for the fences on the trade market, Hachimura’s skillset and $17 million contract would be an ideal candidate as part of any outgoing trade package.

10: ROB PELINKA IS PLOTTING

While no trades came to fruition last year, do not lose sight of the pre-deadline haul that Pelinka pulled off in 2023. The thing about it was that nobody saw those coming. And with so much uncertainty centered around the front office’s intentions with this roster PLUS a surplus of potentially available stars (Giannis, Jimmy Butler, Zach LaVine, Brandon Ingram, etc.), time will tell what Pelinka has up his sleeve this trade season.

11: THE LAKERS ARE LOWKEY CONTENDERS

In spite of a positive start to the season, it still seems like the purple and gold are not receiving the type of respect that they deserve in terms of contention. Any team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis is always going to have a shot, and there is a lot to be excited about when you look at the present pieces around them (and potential future additions).

11 OBSERVATIONS FROM LAKERS FIRST 11 GAMES