Play defense and hit your shots. It does not need to be more complicated than that with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves captaining the Los Angeles Lakers.
JJ Redick made it clear that three spots in his starting lineup are decided. Walker Kessler is the unspoken third in that trio. That much should be a given.
With the final two spots up for grabs, it is even clearer the Lakers players vying for those two open positions fully understand what will get them on the floor and in a position to help the star backcourt in Los Angeles. You heard it throughout Lakers Media Day.
Multiple Lakers discussed needing to deliver 3-and-D upside beside Doncic and Reaves
Matisse Thybulle did not necessarily care to make an overwhelming case for himself to be a starter in Los Angeles, like his agent did. However, there is no doubt the veteran wing will receive some consideration for that role. If he wins it, he knows what the deliverables are.
"Austin and Luka both thrive with 3-and-D players around them, I think on the offensive end and especially on the defensive end."
Similarly, there should be no mystery as to why Jake LaRavia mentioned his jumper as one of the key areas of focus for his summer. Taking care of the mental side mattered, too. Zeroing in on the specific on-court elements of the game, though, had LaRavia discussing his shot.
"I'm gonna play hard. I'm gonna play defense and I'm gonna crash. I'm gonna rebound. But consistency with the shooting was a very big thing for me."
That was a relief to hear for Lakers fans who have war flashbacks of LaRavia clanking open triples off the rim in 2025-26. The young forward struggled on his open looks, shooting only 29.9 percent when his defender was more than six feet away.
Ziaire Williams was unshy about advertising his versatility as a big thing that can help the Lakers. Williams said earlier this summer that with Jonathan Kuminga out of the way, he saw a path to the starting lineup for himself. Doing a bit of everything was going to be a part of that.
Williams mentioned his ability to guard multiple positions as a huge selling point of his game. Ziaire also thought he could contribute as a shooter, but did not limit himself to just that. Driving and catching lobs was also on the menu.
All the same, it was yet another example of a guy who understood what Redick is looking for.
All these players understanding the job description bodes well for the Lakers
The players who win those last two spots in the starting lineup will be the guys who delivered on the 3-and-D description best. That should provide a massive boost for the Lakers.
Even the guys who lose the competition will have spent training camp and preseason fine-tuning those elements. There should be comfort found in the type of preparedness that will give to everyone in the rotation.
Doncic and Reaves are bound to create easy scoring opportunities on offense for those around them. In order to do that to the best of their abilities, helping to take the tougher defensive matchups off their plates is just as important. 3-and-D, that is where we come back to with this one. A competitive training camp should pave the way for iron sharpening iron.
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