The Lakers are heading into a season with a new look, but the mission hasn’t changed: compete. And before the games start counting, Luka Doncic is trying to get everybody on the same page with a four-day preseason trip to Slovenia that will mix workouts, golf and some Ljubljana sightseeing.
Austin Reaves sounds more than willing to play along - especially if golf is involved.
“I feel great, I'm going to kick his a** in golf,” Reaves said via Basketnews. “That'll be a lot of fun, but it'll just be good to get around everybody.
We've got a fairly new team, a lot of new guys. So it'll just be good to be around them, learn to get to know one another off the court.
Just build that chemistry there.”
Reaves has made plenty of noise with a club in his hands this season, and he was on the course when the Lakers’ max contract decision for him came down. So the trash talk fits. More than that, it underlines what this trip is really about for Los Angeles: getting the new pieces comfortable with one another before the season starts.
Everyone is expected to make the trip except rookie Cameron Carr, who will be at the official NBA rookie orientation.
The Lakers’ roster turned over quickly after LeBron James said he wouldn’t be returning. From there, the team moved fast and brought in Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle and others.
With that much change, the chemistry work matters. Most nights, it’s going to come down to Doncic and Reaves setting the tone. On other nights, the new supporting cast will have to do the heavy lifting.
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Thybulles reputation as a disruptive perimeter defender and Kesslers presence as a true shot-blocking anchor are the reasons this fit is drawing attention now. The challenge, of course, is turning those traits into something that holds up over a full season, but for a Lakers team that has been looking for a clearer defensive lane, the early signs of that direction are hard to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
NBA 2K27 Just Sent Lakers Fans A Clear Message About One Newcomer
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Walker Kessler also stood out in the ratings, giving the Lakers another player whose strengths are getting recognized before the real season gets going. These numbers are only the games own evaluation of skill, not a forecast of what will happen on the court, but they still offer an interesting snapshot of how one newcomer and a few familiar faces are being sized up heading into the release. [Read more 🡒]