Lakers preseason Report Card: Checking in on JJ Redick, Bronny James and the rest of the Lake Show

Sports fans have had a lot to keep them busy lately. The NFL and college football are in full swing, the MLB playoffs have been electric and the NHL returned to action last week. Hoop heads haven't been completely left out in the cold, though, as the WNBA playoffs have been full of drama.

It seems like a long time ago that Team USA, led by Steph Curry and LeBron James, put on a show to win Olympic gold in Paris, but NBA fans don't have long to wait until they can watch their favorite stars in meaningful action once again.

The regular season is only seven days away, and as always, the Los Angeles Lakers are one of the main attractions. L.A. went through one of the most talked-about coaching searches in years as it flirted with UConn coach Dan Hurley before eventually hiring JJ Redick to replace Darvin Ham. The NBA Draft normally centers around the lottery and the debate over who will go number one, but the Lakers dominated the conversation there as well, as they united father and son by drafting Bronny James in the second round.

Love them or hate them, there's no denying that the Lakers are the most entertaining reality show in the NBA. There'll be no shortage of content throughout the season as trade rumors fly, LeBron continues to defy Father Time, and Redick deals with the scrutiny that comes with being a first-time NBA head coach in a huge market.

We have months to get into all of that, but today, we'd like to begin our coverage of this upcoming Lakers season with a look at what the team has done through three preseason games. What do Lakers fans have to be hopeful about, and who is already causing concern? Let's hand out our first report card of the season.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis get a B+ through three preseason games

It's always good to see the Lakers' two best players doing their thing together on the floor, but let's be real. Outside of looking like their skills have deteriorated, which they obviously haven't, the only thing Lakers fans care about is that both LeBron and AD are healthy and ready to go for the 82-game grind.

Both players sat in the preseason opener against the Timberwolves, but they combined for 75 minutes in the next two games against the Suns and Bucks. That's more than enough to get the blood flowng before the regular season begins.

The dynamic duo looked great against the Suns. Davis put up a 17-8-3 line, while LeBron contributed a 19-5-4 with a couple of blocks. Together, they made over 68% of their shots from the field and 50% from three.

The starters, LeBron and AD included, had a tougher time four days later against the Bucks. Maybe it was because LeBron was clearly unhappy with having to fly to Milwaukee in October, or maybe he was still feeling the effects of being ratioed by greg, but neither could find their shot.

Despite LeBron and AD shooting just 36%, the bench was able to storm back in the fourth quarter to steal the first win of the JJ Redick era.

LeBron and AD have played 33 NBA seasons between them, yet they seem healthy and energized to be playing under their third head coach in three years. That's all Lakers fans can ask for right now.

The Lakers role players get a B through three preseason games

One of the most difficult tasks facing Redick is to figure out a rotation that can compete night in and night out in the West. Austin Reaves figures to be a major part of the starting lineup after playing a career-high 32 minutes per game last year, though he's currently day-to-day with a sore ankle.

Reaves' injury seems to be no big deal, which is great news for the Lakers. The fourth-year player saw a dip in his shooting efficiency last year, but Redick is counting on him to get his 3-point shooting back toward 40% while continuing his evolution as a perimeter playmaker. He made only four of 19 shots against the T-Wolves and Suns before resting his ankle against the Bucks, but his seven assists in each game were a positive sign.

Everybody seems to be saying the right things when it comes to D'Angelo Russell. Redick has said the point guard will have "a major role" this season, while Russell himself has said that his approach this year is to "stay steady" after an up-and-down 2023-24 season. He's been solid if not spectaular in the preseason, but the real question is whether he'll be traded at some point.

Russell has been the constant subject of trade rumors since arriving in L.A. That will only continue now that he's on an expiring contract after picking up his player option this summer.

The rest of the available minutes are still very much in the air. Rui Hachimura has made a strong case for the starting power forward spot, especially in light of Jarred Vanderbilt's ramp-up from offseason foot surgery.

Max Christie has brought a much-needed defensive attitude this preseason, as has Quincy Olivari, who we'll get into in the rookie section. Jaxson Hayes has looked capable as part of a twin towers alignment with Anthony Davis, and he'll get plenty of chances to prove himself before Christian Wood returns from two offseason knee surgeries.

Gabe Vincent was signed last year to be a difference-making 3-and-D guard, but injuries limited him to only 11 games played. He's perhaps the Lakers' biggest X-factor this year, because if he can return to the form that he displayed in helping lead the Heat to the Finals two years ago, it could help L.A. improve it's 17th-ranked defensive efficiency.

The Lakers rookies get a C+ through three preseason games

Giving a grade to the Lakers rookies is like evaluating a student that aced one test, did a solid job on the group project, and then said his dog ate his homework.

Quincy Olivari has come out of nowhere to become a Jose Alvarado-like pest as an undrafted rookie, and he's drawn high praise from Redick for the energy he's brought off the bench. On a roster with a lot of question marks, a strong preseason finish from the former Xavier Musketeer could be enough to earn a roster spot and a role.

As a huge college basketball fan, I was shocked when Dalton Knecht fell all the way to the 17th pick. NBA teams draft on potential, I get it, and at 23 years old Knecht is more of a finished product than the 18-year-olds that were selected before him. This guy was the most complete offensive player in the country, though, and he's an ideal fit on the Lakers as someone that can come in and pour in some points when LeBron and AD need a blow.

Knecht has issues defensively, but Redick has raved about his willingness to learn and follow direction. More importantly, it looks like his scoring ability will translate to the next level. He's been ice cold from 3-point range, but he's getting good looks and a lot of minutes to figure it out.

Knecht shot 39.7% from three last year, and that was against tougher SEC competition after transferring to Tennessee from Northern Colorado. He's also more than just a 3-point shooter, as he averaged 21.7 points per game while carrying the Volunteer offense on his back. Knecht is going to have his moments this year as part of the rotation.

That leaves Bronny James, and as much as everyone has been hating on him, I think he deserves a little grace, because nothing that's happened has been his fault. Did he deserve to get drafted based on his skill set? No, not really, and nothing he's done, either in Summer League or the preseason, has shown that he's close to contributing at the pro level.

Bronny's +/- through three games is nearly the worst in the league, but here's the reality — he might get a cup of coffee in the NBA so that he and his dad can share the court together in a historic moment. After that, though, it's G League time, where hopefully he can develop his game without the scrutiny that comes with being LeBron James' son on the most famous basketball team in the world.

LeBron obviously pushed for the Lakers to draft Bronny. As much as I want to blast the nepotism of it all, though, how often does the 55th pick actually contribute? As long as the Lakers aren't giving him minutes in place of more deserving players, Bronny's pro basketball existence, at least for now, is just a footnote to more important Lakers matters.

JJ Redick gets an A through three preseason games

We're going to need more time to figure out if JJ Redick has what it takes to be the Lakers head coach. Right now we're in the honeymoon period, where players are talking about a change in culture while throwing the old coach under the bus. This happens every time a new coach takes over in any sport, but the vibes around the Lakers do seem genuinely good.

Redick's youth and fresh voice are a welcome change on this team. Darvin Ham definitely got scapegoated to some degree, but there's no denying that the Lake Show felt more like an old re-run than must-watch TV in the second half of the season. Redick had a long, productive career as a player, and he gained even more respect as an announcer, analyst and podcast host. He understands the modern game, and he knows how to connect with today's players. The NBA has a long history of coaching retreads, so to give an exciting newbie a chance seems like a worthwhile gamble.

When it comes to X's and O's, Redick's top stated mission is to make the Lakers more reliant on the 3-point shot. In today's game, that's a no-brainer, as the Celtics and Mavericks showed in reaching the Finals while shooting the highest percentage of 3s in the league.

Redick also unveiled a new 3-2 zone with Anthony Davis as the point man, an exciting wrinkle that could let AD wreak havoc in all new ways. He's also shown a willingness to play Davis and Jaxson Hayes together. Twin towers alignments haven't fared too well in this era of spacing and shooting, but against certain teams, it could have a use.

Redick could be the second coming of Pat Riley and he'd still get pilloried for anything less than a Finals appearance this season, even though the Lakers are a very flawed team compared to at least half a dozen other Western Conference foes. For now though, his tenure is off to a good start.