LOS ANGELES — A day before the season began, head coach JJ Redick eyed his biggest unknown with his new Lakers team.

Unknown wasn’t how Luka Doncic could impact a roster, scorching the NBA en route to a league-leading 40.1 points per game through nine games – the first to average more than 40 points across that span since Wilt Chamberlain. His 361 points scored through nine games is also the most since Chamberlain, who had 472 points in the same span during the start of the 1962-62 season

Unknown wasn’t how Austin Reaves would respond to his first max contract, averaging 23.5 ppg – more than any other second-leading scorer on any other team in the NBA – after knotting his future to the Lakers on a four-year, $180 million contract during the offseason. Nor how Walker Kessler would play alongside the Lakers’ star duo, finding his rhythm already having recorded a double-double in four of his last five games.

Redick’s uncertainties until the Lakers actually took to the court for 2026-27 regular-season games, were attached to adversity, he said Oct. 20.

“Hopefully there’s growth throughout the season so that we can deal with adversity in the right way, and that ultimately will prepare us for a deep playoff run,” Redick explained.

Friday night’s 124-118 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers – in which Doncic recorded 53 points in his second 50-point effort of the season – was proof of early-season grit building the Lakers’ adversity through bounce-back response.

Just 11 days ago, Portland completed a comeback to beat the Lakers 136-129 – sinking seven three pointers in the fourth quarter as the league’s highest-scoring teams dueled at Crypto.com Arena.

On Friday, the Lakers (8-2) came out on top and overcame a poor first-half shooting effort to build a victory on the backs of stingy defensive effort – forcing 24 turnovers and tallying 15 steals. They tied their season high with 17 offensive rebounds, a far cry from the six they accrued against Portland a little over a week ago.

“You don’t become a resilient team in 10 games, five games, 20 games,” Redick said Friday night. “It takes a full season to build that resiliency and hopefully you get to participate in the playoffs. And that’s where your resiliency really gets tested, whatever you’ve built throughout the season. …”

“But the fact that this is a very together group and we’ve already shown a level of resiliency, it’s exciting and it’s promising. And I want to continue to build on that.”

When Kessler was asked about Redick’s comments, he immediately backed up his coach’s thinking – and referenced holding Portland at bay when they cut the Lakers’ lead to six during the fourth quarter Friday.

“JJ hit the nail on the head,” said Kessler, who is averaging 14.6 points, on a league-best 71.6% shooting, and 10.4 rebounds through 10 games. “When you face any kind of adversity or anything like that, how you respond is – because obviously you’re going to face some tough times. These teams are the best basketball players in the world. So it can be anyone’s night, and you have to respond.

Since Jake LaRavia joined the Lakers’ starting lineup six games ago, the Lakers are tied for 10th in the league in offensive rebounds per game (13.2) and are tied for 18th in total rebounding (42.8). LaRavia had five offensive rebounds himself against the Trail Blazers on Friday.

“I think we’re playing good basketball right now,” said LaRavia, who has turned the Lakers’ starting lineup into one of the best statistically (30.9 net rating) since entering the five. “We’re just continuing to learn from each other, about each other, you know, continue to to learn this season as a group and just continue to get better each game.”

Adversity and resilience may be needed on the stretch of four road games coming up, starting with a back-to-back set: Sunday night against the Detroit Pistons (6-2) and Monday against the Atlanta Hawks (6-4).

Redick brushed off a question asked about the Lakers’ record, sitting at 8-2 for the first time since the 2019-2020 season when they won the NBA title.

Of course the Lakers want good results, he said. Their ultimate goal, however, is to become “a great basketball team” deep into the season.

Doncic – who is questionable for Sunday’s game with back tightness – said as such Friday night: It’s a long season ahead. It’s still early November.

But when the sun rose Saturday morning, the Lakers – if only for a brief moment – sat atop the Western Conference with reason to dream.

“I think we’re a really good team and we’re gonna get better and I’m really excited to see where that goes,” Kessler said.

On the farm

The Coachella Valley Lakers won their first game of the G League season since relocating from South Bay to play at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, defeating the Salt Lake City Stars 104-98 on Friday night.

Third-year Lakers guard Bronny James had 22 points, seven assists and five rebounds, while rookie guard Cameron Carr, the Lakers’ 2026 first-round draftee, finished with 13 points and four rebounds. Both players will rejoin the Lakers for the road trip ahead, Redick said Friday.

Veteran forward Cole Swider led the Lakers with 23 points on 8-for-12 shooting and made three 3-pointers. Two-way players Chris Manon (17 points, five rebound and three steals) and Arthur Kaluma (seven points, three rebounds and three assists) also played, helping the Lakers to claw out a victory in their inaugural game in front of a sell-out crowd.

Lakers at Detroit

When: 3 p.m. Sunday

Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit

TV/Radio: Spectrum Sportsnet/ESPN LA 710, 980 KFWB

Lakers at Atlanta

When: 4 p.m. Monday

Where: State Farm Arena, Atlanta

TV/Radio: Spectrum Sportsnet/ESPN LA 710, 980 KFWB