The 2024-25 NBA regular season has officially begun as the Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves in a star-studded opener. It was an intriguing debut from head coach JJ Redick, who appears to have connected with the Lakers in a way fans have been waiting for.

The result was a 110-103 victory over the Timberwolves, with Los Angeles coming away with a 1-0 record and plenty of reason to be optimistic about the future.

It was an excellent debut for Redick, who had the Lakers playing with much more energy than fans were used to. Los Angeles was aggressive in the way it crashed the boards, rotating quickly on defense and constantly moving on offense.

The end result was a tremendous defensive performance and a balanced offensive performance that gave Los Angeles confidence that the right plays would pay off in the end.

Los Angeles managed just 5 of 30 from distance, but their determination to take the best shot available held Minnesota’s defense accountable. It filled the gaps by doing its best in the performance department, grabbing 15 offensive rebounds and holding the Timberwolves to 41.5 percent shooting from the field.

It was an imperfectly perfect start to the 2024-25 regular season, and the five starters all had positive performances along the way.

Watching Anthony Davis play defense is an experience every basketball fan should appreciate. A player his size shouldn’t be able to assert himself as quickly as he does, but that’s the beauty of his game as a proverbial Swiss Army knife on defense.

Davis not only carried the Lakers through the game with his defensive skills, but also took on the role of scorer and dominated in the most important moments.

When Davis wasn’t knocking down jump shots, he was blocking them. When he didn’t have control of the glass, he managed to get to the line by attacking from the rebound or sinking shots on the move when Minnesota thought they could avoid contact.

Davis’ stats of 36 points, 16 rebounds, three offensive boards, four assists, three blocks and one steal are remarkable, but even that doesn’t do his performance justice.

If the first half is any sign of things to come, then Rui Hachimura is in for an excellent season. He played with remarkable energy, playing at both ends of the pitch while abandoning fear and committing to each and every action.

Hachimura quieted down in the second half but made his voice heard in the fourth quarter to complete a promising debut for the 2024-25 season.

Hachimura was the Lakers’ best player in the first quarter and maintained his energy throughout the game. He was less assertive as a scorer in the second half, but played hard on defense and made the Timberwolves pay whenever they thought they could relax against him.

As for the numbers, Hachimura made a statistical statement with 18 points, five rebounds, one assist and two steals that the Lakers would be happy to see him average in the 2024-25 season.

In the Lakers’ season opener, LeBron James officially tied Vince Carter for the record for most seasons played in NBA history. That alone was incredible to see. Seeing James embrace his off-ball role by setting screens and directing traffic with his voice and mannerisms was icing on the cake.

James put in a rock-solid performance for the Lakers, and while it may not have been his best yet, it was an encouraging sight.

James had 16 points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocks and shot 7 of 16 from the field and 1 of 4 from long range. These numbers accurately reflect his performance, as he spent most of the game filling the gaps in the Lakers’ offense.

There were moments when James’ defensive performance was disappointing, but the Lakers couldn’t ask for much more with the type of game they were playing.

If the start of the 2024-25 regular season is any sign of things to come, then Austin Reaves will play an important role in the Lakers’ success. It’s far from a surprise, but Reaves reminded critics how versatile he is with his performance against the Timberwolves.

Some might point out that Reaves posted 12 points and four assists on 5-of-14 shooting from the field and an 0-of-5 performance from distance, but that only scratches the surface of his quality.

Reaves was tireless in his effort, competing on both ends of the court and driving the Lakers’ success on the offensive end. He grabbed nine rebounds, including four on offense, and was significantly more involved on defense than in the 2023/24 season.

Reaves will be tasked with producing bigger numbers as a scorer and facilitator in the future, but his effort on defense and on the glass has been crucial to Los Angeles’ success.

D’Angelo Russell didn’t start the season in top form as a shooter, but he made a name for himself in other areas. He was active in the passing lanes, purposeful during his drives to the rim and aggressive in taking advantage of Minnesota’s moments of sloppiness.

Shooting 4 of 12 from the field and 1 of 7 from three-point range is hard to stomach, but Russell seemed far more engaged in other areas of the game than he was a season ago.

Russell finished the game with five assists and two steals. Beyond the numbers, he was constantly looking for ways to set up his teammates, losing balls quickly, limiting his own turnovers and regularly being in the right spots in defense.

It wasn’t the star performance he was capable of offensively, but if this level of non-scoring can continue into 2024-25, then Russell will be a much better player.