This week has been a busy one for the Lakers.
They played three games in five days, including a back-to-back, and had to manage injuries, travel and old age, yet still came out with a 2-1 record.
Finding ways to win despite the challenges in front of them has been the modus operandi for the purple and gold under head coach JJ Redick, and the calendar changing hasn’t altered that.
5 things I liked and didn’t like
1. 1% better every day
In the book “Atomic Habits,” James Clear said, “Making a choice that is 1 percent better or 1 percent worse seems insignificant
in the moment, but over the span of moments that make up a lifetime, these choices determine the difference between who you are and who you could be.”
To start 2026, the Lakers have made small improvements that could help raise their ceiling for this season.
On the year, the Lakers have a net rating of -0.3. They are the only team that’s in a playoff position in either conference with a negative net rating. This week, they are positive at +2.3. That’s not the biggest swing, but it’s a step in the right direction.
2. Rui Hachimura’s return
The best ability is availability.
Entering this week, the Lakers were down two starters in Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura.
Reaves still has a couple of weeks before he is re-evaluated, but Hachimura returned against the Hawks. He was on a minutes restriction, but having him back improves the rotation and gives LA back their best 3-point shooter.
Redick mentioned that Hachimura would begin on the bench as he ramps up his conditioning. He also made it clear he wasn’t sure if Hachimura would start or not once he was no longer on a minutes restriction.
Deciding whether to bench or start Rui moving forward will be fascinating to watch unfold. For now, though, it’s just great that the Lakers are one step closer to being fully healthy.
3. LeBack-to-Back
Trying to figure out another way to describe the unrealness of LeBron James gets tiring.
We’ve been marveling at his level of play relative to his age for years now and somehow it’s still mindboggling. This week, he added back-to-backs at age 41 to his resume and did it better than anyone could’ve imagined.
After LA’s loss to the Kings on Monday, James did everything he could to get himself in position to play on Tuesday against the Hawks.
LeBron didn’t only simply participate in his first back-to-back of the season, though. He was the team’s best player, scoring a game-high 31 points and finishing just one rebound shy of a triple-double.
His performance inspired Redick to go on a rant defending LeBron and calling out the unfortunate negativity surrounding him.
I’m certain the Lakers will pivot just fine once LeBron is no longer in a purple and gold uniform, but seeing how much they still rely on him now and how he still can deliver is astounding.
Appreciate him, Lakers fans.
4. The Lakers have lasers now?
Even broken clocks are right twice a day.
Against the Hawks, the Lakers’ awful 3-point shooting became a strength. Los Angeles shot 56% from deep, a stark contrast to the night before, when they made only 22%.
This isn’t a turning point where the Lakers suddenly become the 2016 Warriors. But it was nice to see, even if for just one game, that the Lakers could not only generate good looks, but knock them down.
5. Defund podcasting
When the podcast “Game Over” debuted and Rich Paul went on a rant about trading Austin Reaves, the Lakers not being contenders, and needing to fix their culture, I thought he’d cool off on the takes once he saw how the public reacted.
Nope.
He keeps putting Reaves in the trade machine and it’s gotten to the point where Reaves’ agent spoke to Paul about the podcast, LeBron James has been asked for his thoughts and the Lakers are reportedly “not happy.”
Enough is enough. This podcast is helping no one. It makes no sense for one of the biggest agents to be out here offering takes like this so freely and it’s certainly not fair that LeBron gets lumped into this mess.
I just want the silliness to stop for everyone’s sake.
Stat of the Week
Deandre Ayton has been in a bit of a slump recently. He was benched in clutch time in a pair of close games recently over Jaxson Hayes and has struggled to get back to being the double-double machine he was during the early parts of the season.
Ayton found his groove against the Hawks and finished the game with 17 points and 18 rebounds in the win.
While he isn’t the most important Laker, when he plays well, it is usually an indicator that the team will win. When Ayton scores 14 or more points in a game this season, the Lakers are 17-1. In those games, he also averages 10.4 rebounds per game.
A scoring Ayton is an engaged Ayton. So, feed the big man. It’s the best way to ensure you get the lion and not the cub.
Play of the Week
The Play of the Week for the Lakers started with defense and led to offense.
CJ McCollum was as ball-dominant as possible in LA’s contest against Atlanta and in the fourth, he was once again pushing the ball up the court.
Jake LaRavia, whose 128 deflections lead the Lakers and are the seventh-most in the NBA, was able to poke the ball out of his hands.
Luka came up with the loose ball and his mind immediately went into getting out in transition.
LeBron saw the play flipping in LA’s favor immediately and was the only player in position to make a run to the other basket. Luka only took one dribble before passing it to LeBron, who had an empty runway in front of him, allowing him to take off for a vintage dunk.
The play electrified the crowd, put to rest any notion that the Lakers would lose and was an exclamation point on one of LeBron’s best games of the year.
Player of the Week
LeBron played in all three games this week and put up incredible numbers, earning him the Player of the Week honors.
James averaged 26.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game. He shot 55% from the field, finished with a plus-minus of +16 and, as mentioned above, had arguably his best game of the season against Atlanta.
With production like this, is again looking like an All-Star caliber player. Again, just unreal things being done by the King, not just this week, but for over 23 seasons now.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
