JJ Redick isn’t hiding what he likes about this Lakers group: the fit.
With Luka Doncic running the show, the Lakers have spent the offseason and training camps reshaping the roster around specific needs, and Redick says the new pieces give the team more of exactly what it was missing. That means depth, more ballhandling, better shooting, stronger wing defense, and an elite rim protector.
“When I said the pieces fit, that’s more about having depth, having multiple ballhandlers besides Luka and AR (in newcomers Colin Sexton and Quentin Grimes), having more shooting, more volume shooting, having an elite rim protector - the combination of all those pieces. And it’s having great wing defenders," the Lakers head coach declared.
The thinking behind those additions makes sense when you look at where the Lakers were short before the overhaul. Rebounding was a problem, with a 23.9 ORB% that ranked 22nd in the NBA and a 74% DRB% that showed up on the other end too.
Shot defense needed work as well, since opponents hit 55.5% from the field, 23rd in the league. And on offense, the Lakers needed more stable handling around Doncic after finishing with a 13.2 TOV%, a number that only got worse as the season went on.
That’s why names like Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, and Sandro Mamukelashvili were brought in, along with others, to help push the team toward title contention.
Redick pointed to the roster’s new shape and the way it supports Doncic and Austin Reaves.
“I really believe in our wing group. I believe in their defense.
I believe in their ability to make open 3s. You don’t become a championship team (in late September).
You have to become one throughout the season," Coach Redick added.
Kessler and Mamukelashvili are expected to help with the rebounding issues. Grimes, Matisse Thybulle, and Ziaire Williams give the Lakers more point-of-attack defense and shot-contesting ability. Grimes, Sexton, and Jaden Hardy can also take some of the pressure off Doncic by handling the ball when the Lakers need another playmaker.
Early on, the new mix has shown signs of working. The Lakers opened preseason with a 127-103 win over the Sacramento Kings before dropping a 124-98 game to the Golden State Warriors.
There’s still plenty to sort out with this roster, but Redick’s message is clear: the Lakers believe they built around Doncic with purpose.
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