The Los Angeles Lakers have opened the season with three consecutive victories, building early momentum behind a high-scoring offense and a renewed defensive edge. While superstar Luka Doncic anchors the attack, the supporting cast has provided the essential spark to navigate the opening week of play.
Coach JJ Redick found inspiration for the team’s early identity during a stay at Salt Lake City’s Asher Adams hotel, a repurposed railroad station named after cartographers John R. Asher and George H. Adams. As the Lakers prepared for a matchup against the Utah Jazz, Redick leaned into the railroad metaphor to describe the process of finding effective lineups and combinations.
That search for identity received a significant boost with the return of guard Collin Sexton, who missed the preseason and the regular-season opener due to a right calf strain. Although his box-score numbers in his first two games reflect modest production—averaging nine points in 18.1 minutes per contest with three steals and a 25% mark from beyond the arc—teammates report an immediate shift in the team’s intensity whenever he checks in.
Sexton, the eighth pick in the 2018 draft who is now with his fourth team in six seasons following stints in Cleveland and Utah, brings a relentless demeanor earned during his youth. Known as ‘Bull’ after years of trying to keep up with his older brother Jordan, Sexton absorbed a Luka Doncic elbow to the mouth during a summer pickup game in Slovenia that cut both of his lips, only to wipe away the blood and return to the floor immediately.
That tenacious approach has already left an impression on his new teammates. Forward Matisse Thybulle noted that Sexton’s active communication in organizing the team on both ends of the floor during his season debut against the Los Angeles Clippers on October 23 compelled him to elevate his own defensive effort.
While Sexton anchors the bench energy, guard Austin Reaves has established himself as a model of consistency for the franchise. Fresh off signing a four-year, $180-million contract extension, Reaves is averaging 26.7 points and 6.3 assists while attempting just 12 shots per game through the first three outings. He is shooting 63.9% from the field, anchoring an offense that ranks among the league’s best.
In Sunday’s 132-123 victory over the Utah Jazz, Reaves delivered the decisive basket with 32.3 seconds remaining, pushing the Lakers’ lead to seven points before placing a finger to his lips to quiet the Salt Lake City crowd. The win featured a 52-point, 10-assist performance from Doncic, who bounced back from an 11-turnover outing in the previous game against the Clippers.
The Lakers now face a demanding stretch of games, beginning with a Tuesday matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, followed by games against the Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Toronto Raptors, and Miami Heat.
