3 Adjustments the Lakers Need to Make on Their Challenging Road Trip
The Lakers can’t afford to lose focus.
By Maxwell Ogden
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the NBA’s most intriguing teams in the early part of the 2024-25 season. With JJ Redick’s innovative strategies, the Lakers started off 3-0, but recent games have seen them drop three of their last four.
With only seven games played, the sample size is small, but Los Angeles already needs to make three major adjustments to improve.
The Lakers have shown their potential with wins over teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, and Sacramento Kings. However, they’ve also squandered an 18-point lead against Phoenix, lost a rough game to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and were upset by the Detroit Pistons.
The schedule has been tough on the Lakers, featuring an early back-to-back and a lengthy five-game road stretch, but that doesn’t lessen the urgency for improvements.
Some of these adjustments require more playing time for key contributors, while others demand a boost in energy on both ends of the court, especially in areas that should be their strengths but haven’t been.
It all starts by giving their most efficient shooter a real opportunity to make the second unit relevant again.
1. Grant Dalton Knecht steady minutes
Rookie sharpshooter Dalton Knecht has emerged as the Lakers’ best option for consistent bench scoring. Though he has defensive gaps to address, the Lakers can’t afford to be picky about how they generate points from the second unit.
Currently, the Lakers’ bench ranks last in points per game and 29th in offensive rating—a direct result of Knecht’s limited time on the court.
Offensively, Knecht has been solid, averaging 7.3 points and 1.3 made three-pointers in just 15.9 minutes per game. While early statistics can be unreliable, these numbers equate to 16.5 points and 2.9 threes per 36 minutes.
Given his impressive shooting—.474/.375/1.000—Knecht has the potential to play the sixth-man role effectively if given more minutes.
Though defensive issues remain, the Lakers need consistent scoring off the bench. Knecht is leading all reserves in scoring and three-pointers made, both on a per-game and per-36-minute basis.
He also leads the team in three-pointers made per 36 minutes—a noteworthy stat despite the bench’s struggles.
2. Set up plays to get Gabe Vincent more involved on offense
The Lakers signed Gabe Vincent to a three-year, $33 million contract in 2023 to strengthen their bench with a two-way player who had six 20-point games in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
But Vincent is currently producing at an unsustainably low level of efficiency, similar to his struggles in 2023-24—a problem the Lakers need to address soon.
In the 2023-24 regular season, Vincent averaged 3.1 points in 19.8 minutes, shooting just .306/.107/.500. He was impacted by injuries, though, playing in only 11 games.
So far this season, Vincent is averaging 2.7 points in 17.7 minutes on .296/.188/.000 shooting, marking a continued trend of poor efficiency.
The Lakers need to reverse this pattern quickly, as Vincent’s scoring drought has hurt the bench unit’s performance. His defense remains strong, but he’s yet to score more than five points in a game and didn’t attempt a shot in 18 minutes in his latest outing.
To maximize their potential, the Lakers must either find a way for Vincent to regain his pre-2023-24 form or look for alternative solutions.
3. Emphasize transition defense
The Lakers have been efficient in transition offense, often relying on LeBron James and Austin Reaves to spark fast breaks.
However, their strength in transition offense has been overshadowed by their lack of urgency in getting back on defense.
The Lakers rank fourth in the NBA in fast-break points per game at 18.4. But this is nullified by allowing the most fast-break points per game in the league, with opponents scoring 20.7 points in transition.
This 2.3-point swing has turned a potential strength into an attempt to cover up a glaring weakness.
To turn things around, the Lakers need to match their offensive energy with a commitment to transition defense. This is essential to begin preventing opponents from scoring so easily.
Implementing these three changes would give the Lakers a chance to rebound from recent struggles and establish a more stable foundation for future success.