Suns-Lakers: 5 takeaways as Anthony Davis helps erase 22-point deficit

Anthony Davis joins Elgin Baylor (1962-63) and Jerry West (1969-70) as the third Laker with consecutive 35-point games to open the season.

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LOS ANGELES —The two most commonly used words spoken in the first week of every NBA season – it's early – bear repeating here, if only for context:

The Lakers seem like a pretty decent team.

In two games they played against two scheduled opponents from the Western Conference and were more than able to hold their own; They dominated at times and sealed the deal.

Friday night's victory over the Suns was followed by an opening victory over the Timberwolves, and the undefeated Lakers are feeling bright and good in their own skin. And perhaps for good reason.

Anthony Davis is healthy and beastly, LeBron James once again shows no signs of deep aging in his 22nd season and only a few flaws come to light.

Trailing by 22 early, Los Angeles stormed back to beat Phoenix 123-116 and improve to 2-0 to open a season for the first time since 2010-11. Here are five takeaways from a feel-good win that puts the Lakers at the top of the West (at least for now; it's still early):

1. Redick could be up for the job

He arrived with a coaching resume lighter than that of the supermodels flitting around the Crypto.com arena, and yet just based on the Lakers' performance in his system alone, JJ Redick looks, shall we say, experienced?

There is noticeable chemistry and cohesion among the Lakers, especially on offense. The ball is shared and the scoring is equal. The supporting players around LeBron and AD appear confident and determined.

“The other night we went through his game plan carefully and trusted his defensive plans. Tonight was a different kind of game,” Davis said. “After 22 years, the trust has to really take hold, the coaching has to take effect. J comes at halftime and tells us: 'We're fine, calm down, we know what we're doing is wrong.'

“If he doesn’t panic, we don’t panic, and we are able to take them down and eventually take the lead. We trust what he’s doing.”

Austin Reaves outplayed Devin Booker, took him off the dribble and made long-range shots (5 of 7), giving him 26 points. Rui Hachimura had moments for the second game in a row. And the bank produces.

Of Reaves, Redick said: “I knew he was a good player before I took this job. I didn’t know he was that good.”

2. Davis seems unstoppable again

For the second straight game, Davis was the powerhouse offensively, scoring 35 points against the Suns after opening the season with 36 points.

Aggressive and energetic, Davis is Option A. Both he and the Lakers embrace that role.

“The positions where I get the ball are effective,” he said. “And when my teammates play well, it opens up the playing field and opportunities for me.”

He also exploited the Suns' most obvious weakness – their lack of quality. Jusuf Nurkic had four turnovers, four fouls and a basket against Davis and was on the bench in the fourth quarter. The Suns were forced to use Kevin Durant, who rarely guards centers, for Davis instead.

The plan for this Laker season is revealed and Davis is slated to be the main event.

“He's comfortable and has the confidence that the ball will come back to him when the game gets crazy,” Redick said.

3. Suns and defenses are still in development

Mike Budenholzer coaches the Suns because the club constantly collapsed on defense under Frank Vogel last season.

Well, the Suns can change coaches, but until they either find better defenders or develop a better defensive mentality, that side of the field could still be problematic.

They gave up 71 points to the Lakers in the second half, and a team with such certified scorers as Durant, Booker and Beal couldn't keep up with that pace.

If the shots aren't falling on the Suns, they'll be vulnerable for the time being. They started the game with brilliant shots on goal and took the lead from distance 11 against 14. But when they settled down and won 6 out of 26, their defense couldn't save them.

This could ultimately decide their fate in the troubled West. They were defeated by the Timberwolves in the first round last spring after struggling to score. And if the Suns find themselves in a defensive struggle, that's likely a problem.

4. LA, the epicenter of sports

The biggest celebration of the night came when the Suns hit a 3-pointer in the third quarter. Of course, the reaction wasn't to the shot. It was that exact moment when Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off grand slam for the Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series.

Friday was a surreal night in LA filled with sporting events. There was Lakers-Suns, the World Series, USC-Rutgers, two big high school football games and also a concert at the Intuit Dome.

As a result, it was traffic Armageddon even by LA standards. Not only did most events start about an hour apart, they also ended within that time span. So a growl.

Or – that was good preparation for the 2028 Olympic Games.

5. Two James are still in the squad for now

When the Lakers' schedule was announced, it came together almost as well as the draft for Bronny James. That's because the away game in Cleveland would be early enough in the season – Wednesday, actually – to justify him playing in his other “hometown.”

Therefore, after this upcoming six-game road trip and stop in Cleveland, it's very likely that Bronny will be sent to the South Bay Lakers of the G League for development.

It's not all that unusual for a 55th pick to open the season in the NBA, get a taste of that life, and then spend most, if not all, of the rest of the season in the minors.

After playing three minutes in the season opener, Bronny scored a DNP against the Suns. When he moves to the G League, the real drama begins, because it's full of starving dreamers who lack the opportunities that Bronny offers when basketball doesn't work out.

If Bronny doesn't excel in the G League — and remember, he struggled in the NBA Summer League — will the Lakers bring him back?

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Shaun Powell has been covering the NBA for more than 25 years. You can send him an email Herefind his archive here And Follow him on X.

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