Takeaways from the first five games of the season for the Lakers

Entering the season, the Los Angeles Lakers were faced with questions about how the year would unfold. The decision to hire JJ Redick for the first time as a head coach, combined with a quiet offseason, led many to speculate whether the Lakers should have been counted out before the season had even started.

The Lakers currently have a 3-2 record. After starting the year on a three-game winning streak, they have now come down to earth. Through five matches, it is still too early to predict how the year will go for the Purple and Gold, but the first results do provide insight into what this group can achieve.

Here are some early takeaways from the Lakers’ first week of action:

Dalton Knecht is set up as a key rotation piece

The 17th overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft was highly regarded as one of the more complete players in his class. Knecht’s extensive college experience has allowed him to slot right into the Lakers’ rotation, showing signs of becoming a key piece in the rotation.

Five games into his professional career, Knecht has shown gradual improvement, steadily increasing his scoring ability.

He is currently shooting 45% from the field and putting up 8.2 points per game. In his most recent game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Knecht recorded a career-high 18 points. If this trend continues, Knecht could see an expanded role and become a big factor in the team’s success.

The jury is still out on Gabe Vincent

After playing just 11 games last season due to a knee injury, Vincent’s return to the court was supposed to make up for the lack of movement the Lakers had in free agency. During the first five games, Vincent has not been as productive offensively as hoped. He is currently averaging 3.4 points per game while shooting 33.3% from the field and 25% from deep.

There is still plenty of time for Vincent to settle into his role and improve his score. While he likely won’t be asked to produce big scores, improvements in this area would help the Lakers get more out of their second unit.

Road games can be a problem

Last season the Lakers posted a mediocre road record of 19-21, and they are already 0-2 this season. In their first road game, the Lakers struggled to close the half, being outscored by 11 in the second quarter by the Phoenix Suns, who took the lead at halftime. After gaining the lead in the third, the Lakers were outscored by 11 in the fourth quarter as the Suns secured the victory.

The team’s journey to Cleveland was dismal, after going down 42-23 in the first quarter, Los Angeles never recovered. With the next three matches no longer taking place at the Crypto.com Arena, it will be worth keeping an eye on how the team starts and ends matches to see if there are any signs of a pattern.

A three-point approach of quality over quantity would be effective

Redick has noted that he wants his team to make more shots from deep. Although the Lakers attempt roughly one fewer three-pointer than last season, Redick’s new offensive system allows for more quality looks from deep.

The Lakers are 2-1 this season when they hit 14 or more threes. While the bread and butter of this offense seems to be getting good driving lanes and mid-range shots, capitalizing on the open looks from three that this offense produces will take the Lakers to a new level.