Los Angeles – The Los Angeles Lakers play basketball in two days with Sacramento for the first preseason game on Monday. While the team has worked hard during the first week of training camp, some two guys are just starting to impress, most notably Chris Mañon.
“The first two days I thought we were both” [Arthur Kaluma and AK Okereke] “Chris on Thursday and Chris again today in live play – he got some exposure with the purple team because we wanted to have a balance on both sides – it’s fantastic to live the last two days in play and scrimmages.”
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Redick added that he sees Kaluma and Okereke as 3-and-D wings in the Lakers’ structure and Mañon as a hybrid wing guard.
“There is a little bit of play with our two ways this year, which we think is really good because if we can develop Adou. [Thiero] and develop Cam [Carr] and to develop these guys into a rotation of functional NBA players over the next 12 to 24 months, it changes our camera,” Redick said.
In more practice, defined functions
The Lakers have five preseason games, down from six last year. While Redick doesn’t like the short preseason, he admits that with one less game this year, he has more time to train the team and get into the regular season at a better pace.
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“I want to say we had six real practices in the preseason last year. We’ll have at least 12 this year,” Redick said. “In general, we could have a more fruitful preseason and training camp … we actually space things out a little more, these guys play more live, we really take time with teaching.”
By doing so, it gives the coaching staff and players a chance to define their roles. It’s an interesting situation for someone like Bronny James, who, despite entering only his third season, is the third-longest tenured Laker in the team after Austin Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt. James is battling for a spot in the rotation while also stepping into a role where Prince has been watched by many fresh faces in the locker room.
“Crazy, right? The AR vet calls me. I’m like, ‘I guess,'” James said. “Every day I come in trying to get better and better as a point guard. Taking those steps, and encouraging my guys and getting them in the right place.”
Matisse Thybulle has been the source of much praise from the training camp to his defensive ability. He’s also starting in the fifth quarter as one of the team’s best point guard defenders.
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Before Los Angeles, he played around the league in various roles either in the starting lineup or on the bench, but he insisted that, regardless of slotted, he is going to win.
“I leave that decision up to the coaches,” Thybulle said on Saturday as to whether he believes he will start. “For me, if my teammates are happy with how I’m playing, if the coaches are happy with how I’m playing, that’s a good sign for me that I’m doing a good job. But if I’m coming off the bench like this, if I’m starting like this, I trust the coaches to know that I’m going to use it for a bigger impact and go with it.”
from the high Acipenser
Towards the end of practice on Saturday, we could see Walker Kessler working on catching and shooting 3 pointers and pick and drills / pick and pop drills. From what I’ve seen — and brace yourselves, Jets fans — his jump shot doesn’t look bad at all.
Kessler dropped his 3-point attempts per game from 0.3 in the first three seasons to 1.6 in five games last year before missing the rest of the year with a shoulder injury. He noted several times this offseason that the focus in his game has been pacing the floor.
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Coming in as one of the best archetypes to play with Luka Dončić, his ability to space only elevates Los Angeles’ offense.
Other notes:
JJ Redick has not yet revealed the ability of any player entering Monday’s preseason game. He says they are “also working hard.”
Bronny still weighs 215-220 pounds, but attributes her slim body to a better diet and exercise.
Thybulle says Cameron Carr has been able to really learn from the coaches. He said he plans to improve Can-re as reps increase.