The Lakers like what they landed in Walker Kessler, but the early warning signs are already blinking around the edges of their frontcourt.
Los Angeles still has work to do behind Kessler, and the team is keeping an eye on the market for more help up front before the season gets rolling. The Athletic’s Dan Woike reported that the Lakers are still monitoring the big-man market, noting, "The Lakers are still monitoring the market for big men, team sources told The Athletic," Woike reported.
"They traded for Walker Kessler and signed Kevon Looney to play center, and Mamukelashvili can play the position, too. The team could address the position either by trade or signing, like with potentially adding Thybulle.
The roster is currently at full capacity."
For now, the depth chart is lean. Kevon Looney is the only other true center behind Kessler, and that gap showed in the Lakers’ last preseason game against the Sacramento Kings.
Jovan Buha pointed out that the Kings were winning the battle on the glass early, writing, “The Kings are killing the Lakers on the glass, more than doubling them up in rebounds (11 to 5). They have four offensive rebounds and a few putbacks.
That’s been an early concern in these non-Kessler lineups.”
That problem has already reached head coach JJ Redick, who made it clear over the weekend that the Lakers can’t let it linger. Redick challenged his group to clean up the rebounding and said the team will have to be better when Kessler is off the floor.
“JJ Redick said LA’s plan for when Walker Kessler is off the floor is to have two of its bigger wings - he mentioned Luka Doncic, Adou Thiero and Sandro Mamukelashvili - on the floor in those lineups. He said LA needs to do a much better job of boxing out and gang rebounding,” Buha wrote.
That leaves the Lakers with a clear issue to solve. Kessler gives them a strong anchor, but the minutes without him are going to lean on players who can cover center in a pinch rather than natural fives. Looney is the lone true backup center, and the rest of the options are undersized for the spot.
The Lakers want to make noise this season, but Redick’s message is simple: the rebounding has to tighten up, and it has to do it soon.
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Lakers Have A Real Problem In Their Non Kessler Lineups
The Lakers are still sorting out how to survive the minutes when Walker Kessler is off the floor, and JJ Redick made it clear that rebounding has to be part of the answer. Los Angeles wants more size around its backup center, more disciplined boxing out and more gang rebounding, because the current mix has left too many chances on the table when the rotation gets smaller.
One place the staff can look is the wing group, where the Lakers have been exploring bigger bodies to help stabilize those lineups and generate more defensive stops. Adou Thiero is part of that conversation as well, with the rookie trying to carve out a larger role after knee injuries interrupted his season, and the way Redick handles those combinations could shape how much trust he has in the teams deeper bench options. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Newcomer Sees Something Big In Luka And Reaves
Sandro Mamukelashvili is still getting settled with the Lakers after joining the team this summer, but he already has a clear read on two of the players shaping the group around him. He pointed to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves as central voices in the locker room, with Doncics presence helping set the tone on offense and Reaves bringing a steady, positive energy that new teammates notice quickly.
For a roster that has changed again and is trying to build toward contender status, those kinds of early impressions matter. Mamukelashvilis view suggests the Lakers are not just leaning on star talent, but on the daily habits and communication that help a new group come together, and the way Doncic and Reaves carry themselves could go a long way in making that transition smoother. [Read more 🡒]
Luka Doncic Just Raised The Stakes For The Lakers Season
Luka Doncic enters the Lakers season with a different kind of urgency after last springs playoff run ended without him. Los Angeles finished fourth in the Western Conference, managed to advance through the first round, and still ran into a wall in the semifinals against the Thunder, a reminder of how thin the margin can be when a core player is missing from the stretch drive.
Doncic has said he is motivated to come back strong after recovering, and the stakes around his health are obvious for a Lakers group that already tasted how far it could go without him. The disappointment of watching the run end short lingers around this team, and the next question is whether Doncic can stay on the floor when the Lakers need him most. [Read more 🡒]