JJ Redick laid down the law for his Lakers wings: they gotta be the defensive tone-setters for this squad, establishing physicality in front of premier rim protector Walker Kessler. And lemme tell ya, after Tuesday’s practice, the second of their training camp sessions, that message was not just heard, it was fulfilled. These guys brought such great effort and physicality that Redick and his coaching staff actually had to cut a couple of drills and modify the latter third of practice. Seriously.
The “Wonderful” Mess They Made
Redick himself called it “wonderful.” He’s been shouting out the wings for bringing that physicality, especially with “picking the ball up earlier, being disruptive earlier, eating at the shot clock earlier.” Their off-ball physicality? “Really good,” he said. It’s the whole dang group of wings making it happen out there. Quentin Grimes, among those setting the defensive tone, nailed it: “It’s been high intensity from the start. We’re trying to set the tone defensively for who we want to be as a team, picking up full court, everybody, all five guys trying to switch one through five.” You could feel it, the coaches could feel it, even Redick could see it.
Fighting for Spots, Fighting for Reps
So, why are these guys going so hard? The stakes are clear. Two starting spots alongside Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler are wide open. Jake LaRavia put it plainly: the fight for those spots and overall wing minutes is going to come down to “who’s the best 3-and-D player for us.” Defense is the main priority right now, and players know that will determine how much court time they’re able to see. Ziaire Williams has been among those receiving praise for his defense in training camp.
That kind of intensity comes with a price, though. Grimes admitted things get “sloppy offensively” in those kinds of practices, so Redick probably knew, as Grimes put it, to “just shut it down” because the intensity was getting really high.
“Nasty Defensive Team” Incoming?
The Lakers’ defense has been heavily scrutinized after their offseason reconstruction, with many external observers expecting them to once again be a subpar defensive unit. But Kessler? He’s not having that narrative. “We’re going to be a nasty defensive team, I’m just being honest,” he declared. He’s seen these guys “hound the ball on the perimeter” and firmly believes they’re going to be really good defensively, touting their “lot of defensive tools.” Those tools include Matisse Thybulle’s anticipation and instincts, plus Ziaire Williams’ size, length and athleticism. With that kind of defensive fire in practice and players like Kessler talking smack, it’s gonna be wild to see how that intensity translates from training camp into the next phase of the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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