Here are three ways the Lakers are dramatically different this year -- and one way they are troublingly the same.

Los Angeles Lakers head coach J.J. Redick began training camp by showing players a video presentation on which team values he saw as "non-negotiables"

Redick, who took the helm of the Lakers in June, replaced Darvin Ham after Ham coached Los Angeles to a disappointing first-round exit in the 2023-24 playoffs. Amid widespread doubt over Redick’s ability to lead a team in the NBA, the first-time head coach boasts a stellar report card at the start of the season, per Charania.

The Los Angeles Lakers field pretty much the same roster as last year, but watching them feels like a completely different team, and credit goes to rookie head coach JJ Redick. For instance, they didn’t stumble out of the gate as in the past couple of seasons,