JJ Redick is feeling pretty good about his defense. NBA insiders? Not so much.

The Los Angeles Lakers have come flying out of the gates this season, even with LeBron James stuck on the sidelines and rehabbing in the G-League . They’re 10–4 , sitting near the top of the West, and cooking people offensively, top four in effective field goal percentage despite LeBron, Luka Doncic , and Austin Reaves all missing games early.

Luka has walked in, grabbed the keys, and parked himself in the early MVP conversation . Reaves has turned into an All-NBA-level engine , averaging 28.3 points and 8.2 assists while James has been out and thriving as a primary playmaker. Deandre Ayton is doing the dirty work in the paint, role players are hitting shots, and for now, the Lakers score like

See Full Page