LOS ANGELES — The offseason is the time when rosters and expectations are formed. Training camp is the starting point in the process of achieving those goals, and the Los Angeles Lakers have been putting in the work over the first two days.
The Lakers entered the new season expecting a defensive dive, but if what we heard in training camp on Wednesday is true, two players are looking to overturn that perception in Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams.
Take it directly from one who experienced his defensive impact firsthand.
“Trying to score on Matisse and Zaire… isn’t easy,” Austin Reaves said after Wednesday’s practice. “I had to deal with that all day yesterday and today, and it’s not fun…I think they’re two of the best defenders in the league. They can guard multiple positions. Matisse’s anticipation is top-notch. I’m so excited to have them on our team and see what they can do.”
Both Thybulle and Williams come to Los Angeles on minimum contracts — the former is a veteran, the latter is just 25 — each looking to prove they still belong in the league. If the impression they give on the rest of the team is true, they could both play a vital role in making the Lakers one of the best defenses in the league.
“It starts with defense,” JJ Redick said of Williams. “He’s a pest. He’s disruptive. He’s got great length. I think even in September, when we watched pickup games and for the first couple days of camp, his physicality stood out. I know he probably doesn’t have a reputation for being invisible, and you combine that with length and instincts, and he just has a solid foundation defensively.”
Redick has been a very detail-oriented coach during his tenure with the Lakers. So, naturally, when he has to change his practice, you would think that would be a problem for him. Not Wednesday.
“(Today) was awesome,” Redick said. “I mean, we actually had to modify the last third of practice because those guys were just putting in a lot of effort and physicality. So we cut a few things, but it was wonderful.”
Redick elaborated, saying wings were the main source of that physicality, especially on defense, being early disruptors, eating up the shot clock and maintaining that physicality off the ball.
“It was very intense from the start,” Quentin Grimes said. “We kind of set the tone defensively with who we want to be as a team. Taking over the whole field, everyone, all five guys trying to go from one to five. We went smaller a few times today, so just having that intensity throughout practice. JJ can see it. We could all feel it. The coaches can feel it.”
“It was very intense,” added Sandro Mamukelashvili. “Everyone is very intense, hands-on, very, very physical. We try to set the tone early in practice, make sure we pick ourselves up. But at the same time, it’s a very, very healthy competition and everyone is trying to establish themselves, get comfortable with each other and learn each other’s tendencies.
“But today was very, very hard. We were going at it. We were pushing each other, hustling and just trying to make sure we helped each other get better.”
Imposter syndrome fades
The majority of Lakers fans welcomed Redick with open arms three seasons ago, despite having no professional coaching experience. Many have pointed to his long playing career, the brief but impactful media career that followed and the natural charisma he has since being at Duke as their reasoning. Outwardly, he always had confidence in himself.
But this has not always been the case internally.
“Like I thought about it this summer,” Redick said candidly. “I probably shouldn’t admit it, but early in my coaching career, I felt like I was doing a bit of cosplay. It was like I was pretending to be a coach. You get more reps, you’re more comfortable. I don’t think the confidence was ever there, and you also know what you want.
“When I played, I played with anger. There was an inner anger that led to my competitiveness. That’s not always a good thing as a coach, especially now. So, yeah, you just have to work on all that. But I think the most important thing is just the intrinsic knowledge. You do enough things, you just feel more comfortable.”
Redick led the Lakers to more than 50 wins in each of his first two seasons as head coach, something the franchise hasn’t seen since Pat Riley’s first two years. Aside from the few extra gray hairs Reaves jokingly said he noticed, there has been a tangible impact in his coaching style.
“He’s been great,” Reaves said. “The care factor is high. The intelligence is high. He cares more than anyone in the gym. He’s been a good leader since day one. He’s confident in what he wants to do. He’s confident in himself and his basketball.”
- Austin Reaves had to interrupt his media sessions to watch Luka Dončić hit five half-court shots in the span of 30 seconds.
- Redick says Walker Kessler and Kevon Looney will play closer to the basket on defense while Mamu’s use in that role will depend more on the matchup.
- Mamu focuses on learning team principles and being a reliable contributor rather than worrying about starting or coming off the bench.
You can follow Connor on Twitter at @cmorenoNBA.
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