Ahead of the NBA’s Oct. 24 tip-off for the 2024-25 season, the league released its results from the annual NBA GM Survey. This year’s results revealed every general manager’s thoughts on a wide range of topics. The Los Angeles Lakers were widely featured on this year’s survey, whose rules are as follows:
“The GMs responded to 50 different questions about the best teams, players, coaches and offseason moves. General managers were not permitted to vote for their own team or personnel. Percentages are based on the pool of respondents to that particular question, rather than all 30 GMs.”
How the Lakers Fared on the 2024 NBA GM Survey
LeBron James
- Best small forward: Tied for 2nd with Kevin Durant and Luka Doncic, 17%
- Best leader: Tied for 2nd with Jalen Brunson, 23%
- Most versatile player: 2nd, 20%
- Best basketball IQ: 2nd, 30%
As LeBron James heads into a historic year 22, it’s no surprise why James fared so highly among his peers. LeBron’s skills and leadership are key drivers of his success throughout his career. They’re even more impressive as he turns 40 years old in a couple of months.
James has seemingly played all five positions for the purple in gold. His versatility will be an area to monitor under head coach JJ Redick, who clearly wants to maximize LA’s superstar duo in his first year at the helm. One aspect of James’s game Redick hopes to unlock is his perimeter shooting.
“He and I have joked about this. He shot over 40 percent from three this year. I want him shooting threes.”
Last season, LeBron attempted five threes per game in the regular season and made two of them. Ironically, his career-high in threes attempted came in 2021-22. He attempted eight per game—as a center—and made 36% of them. With James coming off of a career shooting year and being back to his natural small forward position, there is no doubt he is poised for another excellent year, even if his career comes closer to its twilight years.
Anthony Davis
- Best power forward: “Also received votes”
- Best defensive player: Tied for 5th with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Herb Jones, 7%
- Best interior defender: 3rd, 10%
He may not have earned the individual hardware (…yet), but Anthony Davis has earned the respect of rival GMs when it comes to his game and, especially, his defense. Davis has yet to bring home a Defensive Player of the Year award; however, he has earned five nods to the All-Defensive team in his career—including a spot on the first team this year. AD is coming off of a season where he played a career-high 76 games. He put up 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.2 steals per contest.
Redick has already envisioned Davis as being the Lakers’ “hub” on both ends of the floor, a role that AD has said he’s comfortable with playing:
“Every team that I’ve played on going back to New Orleans, I’ve always caught the ball in the middle of the floor just kinda directing the offense and things like that so that’ll be nothing new. As far as conversations, we had a couple. Obviously busy summer and things like that. But I’m pretty sure our conversations will be a little bit more in-depth as the season has now started. We’re able to be on the floor, kinda go over things. Talking, communicating about how we want things to work, what I like, what I don’t like, what he likes, what he envisions and kinda build around that especially with the roster that we have. But I’m very comfortable having the ball and playmaking from anywhere on the floor.”
Davis showed glimpses of that comfortability under Redick in his preseason debut. He posted 17 points (7-10 FG, 1-3 3PT), eight rebounds, three assists and one steal against Phoenix on Sunday. Redick’s commitment to maximizing Davis will work wonders for the 31-year-old big man.
Dalton Knecht
- Biggest steal of the draft: Tied for 1st with Bub Carrington, Devin Carter, Johnny Furphy, Terrence Shannon Jr., Nikola Topic, 10%
- Which rookie will become the best player in five years: “Also received votes”
Lakers fans are still thrilled with the selection of wing Dalton Knecht at #17 overall, and now, most GMs are starting to realize he was a draft day steal. Knecht’s sharpshooting and athleticism could bode well in his case for rotation minutes, and his successful summer has begun to show in preseason action. Knecht tallied 16 points (7-13 FG, 2-7 3PT), three rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in his preseason debut against Rob Dillingham and the Timberwolves. However, it’s clear his production will fluctuate in the games to come and once the regular season begins. Despite the tempered expectations, Knecht still figures to have a legitimate shot at contributing immediately.
JJ Redick
- New/relocated coach to have the biggest impact on his new team: 6th, 3%
Redick even appeared on this survey despite his status as a novice head coach. The 15-year NBA vet joins established names as a leader who can make the biggest impact on his newest team. In his first few months on the job, Redick has shifted the Lakers’ culture immensely, a sentiment echoed across the team in the past few weeks.
“For me to see how JJ is trying to bring the play calls and just level of IQ into each practice and each film session, to see how he’s prioritizing that,” guard D’Angelo Russell told Lakers beat writer Mike Trudell. “I’ve always been a guy that wants to prioritize high IQ, high verbiage, high film sessions … like, ‘Let’s rise to that.’ And he’s obviously doing that. It’s something to look forward to.”
Forward Rui Hachimura added:
“I think the good thing about it is he was just in the league so he knows exactly what is happening in this league right now. So he can teach and coach us from the player standpoint. It’s easier for us to understand. It just makes sense. Whatever he says just makes sense; it’s good.”
Redick even got an endorsement from a relatively unlikely candidate: Bronny James.
Bronny James on JJ Redick: “He's a great coach so far. It's been amazing vibes in the facility so far. I feel like it's upped the vibes from what it was last year from what I've heard.” #Lakeshow pic.twitter.com/iufShRgnsZ
— Lauren Jones (@LoJoMedia) October 4, 2024
The league has already gotten a re-introduction to Redick as a coach. Based on organizational support and his words being put into action, he’s ready to exceed expectations and silence the critics in his first season on the sidelines.
Team Findings
As a group, the Lakers received votes for being one of the most fun teams to watch and—unsurprising to some—ranked first in the question, “Which team’s level of success this season is toughest to predict?”
With their emphasis on fastbreak opportunities and historic “Showtime” flare, it’s perfectly reasonable why the Lakers are one of the most fun teams in a city of stars. As for the unpredictable level of success, that comes with the territory of a mediocre finish last season coupled with a stagnant summer and a new head coach. It’s one area the purple and gold will be hungry to prove their critics wrong in as they strive to maintain what Rob Pelinka calls “sustainable Lakers excellence.”
