Luka Doncic and Austin Reeves It is expected that the leaders of Lakersthis season, and an aggressive group of wing-backs prepares them for that role, Benjamin Royer of the Orange County Register writes in history only for subscribers. “They all annoy the hell out of me” Reeves said of the group he’s led in the offseason Mathis Tibouleand Tybul expressed the same respect for the team’s two stars.
“You have to work very hard” he said. “They’re so talented. … I think it’s great for me because playing against two of the best offensive players in the NBA every day just prepares you for — I think it gets all of us in the mood, but me in particular — just prepares you for what to expect.”
Along with Thybulle, the group includes Ziair Williams, Goodbye Thiero and Bronnie Jameswho all spend time honing their defensive skills against two of the league’s top scorers. It’s unclear how playing time will be split between the two once the season begins, but everyone figures to benefit from the battles in training camp.
“It’s going to make me better defensively, just picking them up all over the court.” James said. “They annoy me, they annoy me in practice. … Just by continuing to do it, I’ll definitely get better.”
More on the Lakers:
- Forward AK Okerekethe wing Arthur Callum and a security guard Chris Manon occupy two-way LA slots, and coach Jay Jay Reddick talked Saturday about what they can bring to the team, Royer adds. Redick views Okereke and Kaluma as “3-and-D guys” with good size on the wing, while Manon offers a wealth of skills. “He can guard the ball, he can scale and guard the wings, and,” Reddick said.
- Jake Laravia helped stabilize the Lakers last season, playing all 82 games and starting when Doncic, Reaves and LeBron James were sidelined due to injuries. However, he admits his play dipped after the All-Star break, and he was not used at all in the team’s last two playoff games, Roer said in a separate story (subscription required). “This summer has been a summer of reflection and intention for me” LaRavia said. “I think the second half of the season last season didn’t go the way I intended it to. You get into a mental breakdown in the season. I had a stunner last season and I couldn’t shake it off. … And as a professional athlete, it can happen, but when you’re playing on this stage, it can’t happen. So a lot of it this summer for me was just thinking about it mentally and working on that side of the game.”
- Bronie James is focused on improving his skills as a point guard as he prepares for his third NBA season, for Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times (subscriber link). “Just taking those steps, encouraging my guys, getting them in the right spots and stuff like that. Making sure we’re organized.” James said. “Definitely it’s the point guard. You’ve got to talk to your guys, you’ve got to help people get to where they need to be.”
