After a December that saw the Lakers win just five of their 12 games while posting the second-worst defense in the league and a third-worst net rating at -8.2, there may not be a team more eager to turn over the calendar into 2026 and begin a new year fresh than this one.
But changing over from December to January alone isn’t going to do much to get the Lakers out of the rut they’re in. No, the Lakers players (and coaches) will need to be active participants in their turnaround. What better time,
then, for some New Year’s resolutions for the players (and head coach) to help get them back on the right track?
So, without further ado, here is one resolution for each player — and JJ Redick — that I think will either help the team get back to their winning ways, or, just be flat-out good for the player himself…
JJ Redick
Adjust your patience meter as needed.
I don’t mind JJ coming in hot sometimes. The fiery media sessions, the stomping timeouts, the bench eruption, they all can signal that he might be wound a little tight at times? For sure. But they also show a level of care and give a damn that I think is important.
Still, I think he could be better at this at times, and take a beat to be more reflective and less outwardly upset. Not all the time, but a smidge more.
On the other end of the spectrum, I think he could also stand to be less patient a bit more too, especially in regards to making a starting lineup change. Understanding it won’t happen anytime soon due to injuries, but whenever the roster is healthy enough to make a change, I think it’s past time to adjust the starting group to a lineup that is more balanced defensively and less geared towards offense with each player doing what they do best.
I know the samples are small. And, I agree it would be great to have more data. But the Luka, Austin, LeBron, Rui, Ayton group hasn’t worked nearly well enough in the chances they’ve gotten to keep letting it play out and see if they can find it.
So, lose the patience with that group, JJ!
Luka Dončić
Cut down on arguing with and/or complaining to the refs. Notice this doesn’t say stop. Because, let’s be real — Luka is never going to stop. Not only is it sometimes warranted, but he has the arguing gene, so it will never entirely go away. We have to accept that!
But I would argue that Luka’s arguing to the degree that he does not only actively damages he relationships with the referees, which in turn impacts whether he gets all the calls he should, which then makes him argues more, which then…you get the point. But it puts him and the team at a disadvantage defensively, especially in transition.
It’s already a part of every opponent’s game plan to attack the Lakers in transition. Luka actively helping opponents by hanging back to argue instead of getting back makes their success rate go up. So, Luka, if you could pull it back some, that would be great.
LeBron James
Concentrate more at the foul line to make your free throws! On the season, LeBron is making just 65.4% of his free throws, the lowest percentage of his 23-year career. The last four seasons, he’s shot at least 75% from the line, meaning he’s down nearly a full 10 percentage points from his recent career norms.
At 41 years old, there are plenty of things that LeBron isn’t going to be as good at on a basketball court. Yes, he may be kicking father time’s ass on the back nine of his career, but he’s not going to jump as high or run as fast, so he’s not going to grab as many rebounds, get as many steals or blocks, dunk as often, or even beat as many players off the dribble.
But, hitting his free throws has nothing to do with any of that. He’s gone through stretches like this before over the course of his career, so maybe this is just a blip at the start of his season and things will normalize soon. But he can and should be better at this, and if it means taking a bit more time and bringing a bit more focus to do it, make it happen Bron!
Austin Reaves
Just get healthy, man. And, when you do, no more setbacks, please. I get that this isn’t something that is really in Austin’s control. He already came back from a calf injury presumably healthy only to re-injure it not even two games later. But in what was shaping up to be a career year before this injury hit him, I don’t want to act as though the Lakers need anything else from Reaves than for him to be available and to play his game.
Rui Hachimura
Make the extra pass every now and then. What made LeBron’s hot mic moment of telling Rui to “swing that mf’er” to him last season so funny was that it was both true and clearly something that Rui’s been told in the past and he just can’t bring himself to do it consistently.
Well, that’s what makes a great resolution!
Rui has become a truly excellent shooter. He’s again leading the Lakers in 3-point percentage (44.5%) and one could argue he should be getting more shots than he does when you consider his accuracy from deep. That said, there are times when an okay shot for him can turn into a really good or even great shot for a teammate.
So, like Bron said, “swing, swing that MF’er” every once and a while, Rui!
Deandre Ayton
I know there are things that Ayton could be doing better or differently this season, but, honestly, I don’t care to discuss any of those things right now.
Considering what Ayton’s reputation was when he was signed and the number of snarky comments from national analysts about how much Lakers fans were going to come to hate this guy, the fact that we’ve gotten to 2026 not only without any noteworthy incident, but with Ayton being one of the more consistently good players on the team this year I don’t know there’s much else you can ask for.
I mean, he’s played in 27 of the team’s 31 games, is averaging 14.6 points and 8.6 rebounds, and is shooting 70% from the field. So, no notes DA! Keep doing you!
Marcus Smart
I’ve loved rooting for Smart this year. He’s made some dynamic defensive plays that will surely make it onto the team’s season highlight reel for sure. Add in the inherent value Smart brings on the contract he’s playing under and I’m not sure there’s much to really harp on about him or his game.
That said, Smart has had some, let’s just call them, curious plays this season where his decision-making hasn’t quite been as strong as you’d like. Like the rushed inbounds with his foot on the line against the Spurs, or the full-court drive that led to him getting blocked and the Suns hitting a go-ahead hoop off the turnover.
So, if there was one resolution for him, I think making fewer of those sorts of plays would be helpful!
Jarred Vanderbilt
Keep shooting with confidence, Vando!
I get he’s never going to be respected as a high-level shooter. Historically, he’s just not proven himself and, even when he does take and make them, his volume is too low for the defense to really feel like they need to adjust to or account for him.
That said, over the course of the eight games he played in December, Vando connected on 10 of his 19 3-pointers (52.9%) and, heading into Friday’s game against the Grizzlies, has hit a three in seven straight games. Vanderbilt had never had a streak longer than four straight games prior to this and he’d only hit threes in two straight games eight other times in his career.
Needless to say, what he’s doing now is working. Keep it going!
Jaxson Hayes
Stay vertical when contesting shots at the rim, Jax!
Hayes has been much improved at this aspect of defense this year, so I don’t want to act as though strides have not already been made here. That said, Hayes still has a tendency to bring his arms down when challenging shots at the rim, committing fouls in the process.
I get that old habits die hard and there are times when getting that block is too enticing a prospect to let the opportunity pass without giving it a go. That said, I’d much rather him risk giving up a basket than putting an opponent at the foul line.
Don’t get me wrong, there are times when I want the Lakers to actually foul more as part of their defensive strategy. But not Hayes. He’s been too foul-prone over the course of his career and this is one area where he can continue to improve and help the team in the process.
Jake LaRavia
Stop getting hit in the face and head so much!
I understand that Jake cannot control this. And, if he could, he wouldn’t get hit at all, to say nothing of it happening seemingly every game. So, in truth, maybe this is a resolution for all the players Jake is guarding or, more generally, for every other player in the league — including his teammates.
But, sheesh, Jake has gotten clocked this year. From having his teeth damn near knocked out against Philly to almost getting concussed in Tuesday’s loss to the Pistons when he caught a Jalen Duren elbow to the temple, Jake has taken some real shots this year.
So, for his own health and availability to the Lakers, maybe he can avoid getting hit any more!
Gabe Vincent
The “get healthy” resolution for Austin could easily apply to Gabe too, who has played in just 14 of the team’s 31 games this season and has missed the last six with a back issue. So, get well soon too, Gabe. But, when you are healthy, grab a rebound, won’t you?
For the season, Gabe has a rebounding percentage of 2.4%. Including the four preseason games he’s appeared in this season, he has zero rebounds in nine of his 18 games, and has one rebound in another four. His season high for rebounds is two.
Gabe brings many intangibles to a team. He’s helpful in a variety of ways and is the consummate pro. But, for a team that needs its guards to help out on the glass, Gabe is falling short. Get your nose dirty and go get some rebounds, Gabe!
Maxi Kleber
Make a jumper, Maxi!
Kleber doesn’t play much these days, mostly filling in as a backup power forward or center when one of the team’s bigs is hurt. And when he does play, he’s made more of an imprint defensively, mostly by being in the right place more often than not and generally playing hard.
But there was a time in his career when Kleber was known as a good offensive player who made his living as a stretch big. He’s a career 35.2% shooter from behind the arc. This season, however, Maxi has connected on just 20% (3-15) of his threes and, in his most recent appearances, is turning down shots altogether in favor of just moving the ball even when he’s open.
He will likely never get back to being the player he was. And that means he may not play enough for this to matter. But, I’d love for him to knock down a jumper or two. Just for old time’s sake.
Dalton Knecht
Play like it’s garbage time all the time!
I have no way to actually measure this, but it seems whenever Dalton plays at the end of a blowout game, he cannot miss. I don’t know if it’s the lack of stakes or pressure or if it’s just that defenses aren’t locked in, but Dalton plays with a freedom that is not replicated when he gets shifts in the normal parts of games. It would be great if that same mindset (and effectiveness) showed up when he got opportunities to play as part of the regular rotation too.
Bronny James
Lock in on defense.
Who knows what Bronny’s long-term future in the NBA is beyond this first contract with the Lakers. But I do know that if he is going to eventually get consistent playing time in the league, he will need to become the defensive player his athleticism and physical tools project him to be.
Adou Thiero
Absorb as much as you can from the bench.
With the recent news that an MCL sprain will cost him at least a month, there won’t be any game reps for Thiero to test the limits of his athleticism or lock down on defense. Instead, he’ll need to do his learning from the sidelines, chatting up his teammates, listening intently in huddles, and getting mental reps from the bench and in the film room.
You can follow Darius on BlueSky at @forumbluegold and find more of his Lakers coverage on the Laker Film Room Podcast.
