The Los Angeles Lakers have officially entered the Luka Doncic era, and the early signs out of training camp suggest the team may have found exactly what its superstar needs around him.
Defense.
For the first time since the 2017-18 season, the Lakers will begin a season without LeBron James on the roster. His departure gave the Lakers a chance to reshape a roster that had been built around James for nearly a decade.
The Lakers didn’t spend the summer searching for another superstar to replace James.
Instead, Los Angeles surrounded Doncic and Austin Reaves with a collection of players capable of doing some of the dirty work on both ends of the floor.
Just two practices into training camp, the Lakers’ revamped defense is already making an impression.
Reaves specifically pointed to Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams and Adou Thiero when discussing the defensive talent Los Angeles has assembled. With 7-foot-2 center Walker Kessler protecting the rim behind them, scoring against that group hasn’t been easy.
“Let me tell you, trying to score on Matisse and Ziaire, especially with Adou out there too, and then Walker on the back line, is not easy,” Reaves said to the media on Wednesday. “I had to deal with that all day yesterday and today and it’s not fun.”
Reaves believes the Lakers’ new additions could be exactly what the team needs to take another step toward competing for an NBA championship.
“Defensively, we’re gonna be much better,” he said. “Those guys compete every possession and everybody else fills in their roles and plays the right way. I see how special we can be.”
It’s only training camp, but these comments are music to the ears of Lakers fans who have been waiting for reasons to believe in this new-look roster.
Doncic is now the unquestioned centerpiece of the franchise. The five-time All-Star led Los Angeles to 53 wins during his first full season with the team, won his second NBA scoring title and earned first-team All-NBA honors.
But building around Doncic requires more than adding offensive firepower.
The Lakers finished 20th in defensive rating last season and tied for 22nd in blocked shots. Los Angeles also ranked near the bottom of the NBA in rebounding, making defense and size clear priorities heading into the offseason.
The front office responded by making significant changes.
Los Angeles acquired Kessler in a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz and added perimeter defenders including Thybulle and Quentin Grimes. The Lakers also brought in Williams, giving head coach JJ Redick several options to place around Doncic and Reaves.
Kessler could be the most important addition.
One of the NBA’s top rim protectors, Kessler has finished among the league’s top five in blocked shots in each of his first three full seasons. His presence could allow Los Angeles’ perimeter defenders to become more aggressive knowing they have protection behind them.
Kessler believes the pieces are already in place.
“Listen, I think we’re going to be a nasty defensive team,” Kessler told reporters Tuesday. “I think people aren’t taking into account how good our perimeter defense is going to be.”
That could be exactly what Doncic needs.
The Lakers don’t need their new additions to take the ball out of his hands. They need them to defend, rebound, create turnovers and give Doncic opportunities to operate offensively.
Kessler believes having aggressive defenders in front of him will also make his job easier.
“Having those guys that can steal the ball … and when they do get beat, be able to recover, it makes my job a lot easier,” Kessler said. “It’s a lot easier to block a shot when a dude has someone on his hip instead of an open lane toward the basket.”
The defensive intensity has already been noticeable.
Redick said Wednesday’s practice became so physical that he altered the final portion of the session. He also said Thybulle recorded at least seven steals during the Lakers’ first two days of practice.
None of it guarantees Los Angeles will become one of the NBA’s best defensive teams.
Training camp is one thing. Defending the Western Conference’s best teams over an 82-game season is another.
But the Lakers appear to have a clear plan.
With James gone, there is no longer any question about whose team this is. The Lakers can now build their roster entirely around maximizing Doncic and his skill set.
Offensively, that means giving Doncic shooting and secondary playmaking.
Defensively, it means surrounding him with players willing and capable of taking on the toughest assignments.
The Lakers won’t know whether that formula works until the games begin, but after just two days of training camp, Reaves already sees the potential.
If that defensive identity carries into the regular season, Los Angeles may have found exactly what Dončić needs to lead the franchise into its next era.