Apart from signing Max Christie to a four-year, 32 million contract, selecting former Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht and former USC guard Bronny James in the 2024 NBA draft, and hiring JJ Reddick as the new head coach, Rob Pelinka has not done much with the Lakers’ roster. This has been a huge concern for the Lakers’ fans and NBA analysts, but it seems like the Lakers are in luck, thanks to Adam Silver tweaking the schedule for the 2024–25 season.

After adjusting things in favor of the Clippers by giving them no afternoon games at home for the upcoming season, Adam Silver has given a similar but different break to the Lakers. Laker’s insider Jovan Buha laid out why he thinks the 2024–25 NBA schedule is looking good for the Lakers on his podcast.

“Only 13 back-to-backs, one of the lowest totals in the league, fewer back-to-backs than last season and again only playing Minnesota, Oklahoma City and Dallas three times,” Buha said, “and we could even throw in Houston, Memphis and New Orleans as three good teams that the Lakers will only be playing three times.” With just thirteen back-to-backs, one of the lowest in the league, things are looking pretty sweet for the Lakers in the 2024–25 season.

But keep in mind that the West is still a beast. If the Lakers can stay healthy, keep their best players on the court, and get in sync with JJ Reddick’s coaching, they could be a top-six seed. Buha also suggested that with the right moves and a bit of luck, the Lakers might even be in the running for home-court advantage in the postseason.

If the Lakers play their cards right and JJ Redick’s coaching ideas click, they might just make it happen this season! But there is still one question: After a rough couple of seasons under Darvin Ham, you might be wondering why the Lakers went with JJ Reddick, who has zero coaching experience in the NBA. Well, let’s dive into it.

Why did the Lakers choose J.J. Reddick as their head coach?

Even though J.J. Reddick might not have any prior coaching experience, his communication skills and basketball knowledge are well known. He has dropped tons of great insights into NBA games, players, and more in his podcasts and interviews. That is why Pelinka saw him as a solid choice to coach the Lakers.

In addition to that, Reddick has said himself why he would make a good coach in an interview. “I feel like I know the game pretty well because of some coaches I played for, really, specifically, Coach K [ex-Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski],” Redick said. “He taught me about adaptability. And our game, the NBA, changes so fast year to year. Having the mindset of being open to change.” He also said that his ability to talk openly and honestly is one of his top skills. As a player, he was a solid teammate and knows that this skill is key to coaching, too.