With Rui Hachimura unable to play, Max Christie stepped into the void and did well, and head coach JJ Redick made it clear how pleased he was.

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

When the Los Angeles Lakers made the decision to hire former NBA guard JJ Redick to take over as their head coach this summer, the move was met with all sorts of criticism. The main argument against the decision was that Redick had no coaching experience and was taking over a team that still had title hopes.