The Los Angeles Lakers have yet to make any significant moves this summer, but LeBron James seemed unfazed when pressed by reporters on Saturday. In a chat with the media during Team USA training camp, he gave his honest review of the team’s offseason so far.
“We’re excited about JJ,” said LeBron. “We’re excited to work with JJ and also to work with coach Brooks and coach McMillan as well. Those are great pieces to add to our coaching staff. I’m super excited to work with JJ and to start work in the fall. Throughout the course of the college season Dalton, besides Bronny, was my favorite coach in college basketball. I watched his game throughout the whole season, I just liked his ability to shoot the ball, his athleticism… the demeanor that he plays with. I did not think he would fall to 17 at all.”
“With my son, it’s a dream come true for me to see my son be in the NBA and for us to be side-by-side. The kid has worked so hard to get to this point and so much has happened over the past year with him. To have this happen less than a year after his incident, to be with our friends and our family when they announced his name, it was surreal and it’s kind of, we still don’t have enough words to explain the feeling we had. He’s such a great kid and I’m looking forward to seeing his progression and how he gets better and better. As he continues to grow as a young man, he’s 19 years old and there’s so much room for improvement but I’m looking forward to helping him improve.”
LeBron James on the Lakers offseason pic.twitter.com/9WHlKSA8ce
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) July 6, 2024
The Lakers’ first order of business was finding a replacement for Davin Ham, who they fired a few days into the offseason. After being spurned by Dan Hurley, who agreed to return to UConn, they settled on former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick.
Despite his lack of coaching experience, JJ earned the job due to his extensive basketball knowledge and his status as a well-respected figure in the sport. We have yet to see JJ in action as a Laker, but he’s taken a good first step by surrounding himself with veterans in the industry.
Once the Lakers settled on their new coach, they shifted their focus to the draft, where they picked up Bronny James and first-round pick Dalton Knecht out of Tennessee. It remains to be seen what kind of production we can expect from the rookies but the Lakers will be baking on them to step up and take on a bigger role in the future.
Besides those changes, the Lakers haven’t really done anything else to improve their odds against the contenders. They stick out on top free agents like Paul George and Klay Thompson and they also missed opportunities to trade for Mikal Bridges, DeMar DeRozan, and Buddy Hield.
With the same roster that finished 7th in the West last season, the Lakers probably aren’t going to get much better than they were a year ago. But for LeBron (a 4x champion), the chance to play with his son while being coached by his longtime friend will certainly help ease the burden. The maximum contract he signed this summer will also make it easier to play for a subpar Lakers team.
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