Category: Basketball

Back in May, I asked if the end of the tanking era would usher in minutes for Justin Champagnie. My thinking on Champagnie hasn’t changed, but my answer has. Which is to say, I still think Champagnie is an average NBA player, and that if the Wizards hold an open competition for forward minutes, he might just take minutes from more ballyhooed teammates.

But while the Brian Keefe and Will Dawkins say they’re excited about the internal competition at training camp, I suspect it’s going to be managed competition. Meaning, they already know who they want to get the bulk of the minutes, and the real competition will be about who starts vs. comes off the bench, and who gets 28 minutes and who gets 20.

Even with the team trying to win games this season, my guess is that Champagnie will be the odd man out — in part because the team cannot lose sight of their long-term goal of contending for a championship in the next few years rather than striving to make the playoffs.

With any luck, several of the Wizards youth — the guys they want to play ahead of Champagnie — will actually be better this season. It’s certainly possible that Bilal Coulibaly and Kyshawn George will be better, more productive players this season. Same for AJ Dybantsa. Barring injury, there’s zero chance Champagnie will take minutes from Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr, or DeAndre Ayton.

My guess is that after playing 1,300+ minutes each of the past two seasons, Champagnie will have a “break glass in case of emergency” role, at least to start the season. And I wouldn’t be shocked to see him end up in a trade package during the year. For me at least, it’d be fun to see him land with a team that could actually use what he does well.

That’s because what he does well is reasonably valuable. Specifically, he scores efficiently despite meh shooting from deep (just 31.9% last season), competes on the boards and defends. He shot over 60% on twos each of the past two seasons, and he avoids turnovers.

He gives up some size, and he doesn’t do anything great, which is why he went undrafted, and the Wizards would prefer to play his younger, bigger, more skilled, and more athletic teammates — even if they’re not better this season.

This is the final stop in this year’s annual Statistical Doppelganger Machine series. As mentioned previously, the machine runs a player season (in this case Champagnie from last season) through an algorithm that compares that player’s statistical production to every other player season since 1977-78 and then tells me which were “most similar.” The algorithm uses 14 different bits of information, including the usual stats, age, and playing time. While position is not a factor, players tend to generate comps from a similar position.

To the comps…

I interrupt before getting started to note that as is sometimes the case, Champagnie’s top comp for his 2025-26 season is himself from the 2024-25 season. By my reckoning, Champagnie was actually slightly better in 2024-25 than 2025-26 (114 PPA to 105), but the category by category production was pretty consistent. This is interesting — consecutive seasons totaling more than 2,600 minutes with average-plus production. If I was in the front office of another team, and I needed a rotational forward, I’d be trying to pry Champagnie from the Wizards on the cheap.

To the comps, part two:

1. Patrick Patterson | 2013-14 | Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors | Age: 24 — Patterson was a talented forward who had an array of injury problems. He played for five teams over nine seasons, even defying the “oft-injured” label a few times — 82 games at 28 years old, 81 at 25, 79 at 26. His best full season was probably 2014-15 — a 122 PPA in 81 games mostly off the bench.
2. Jake Layman | 2018-19 | Portland Trail Blazers | Age: 24 — I have only vague memories of Layman, and for good reason. He didn’t play a ton or for long — six seasons with Portland and Minnesota. This was his best season (95 PPA over 71 games and 1,327 minutes), his health and production declined, and he was finished at 27.
3. Omari Spellman | 2019-20 | Golden State Warriors | Age: 22 — This was Spellman’s second and final NBA season. He wasn’t bad — 83 PPA as a rookie with the Atlanta Hawks, and a 90 with the Warriors in this comp season. Even with low minutes (805 as a rookie and 886 in year two), that’s usually a profile that builds towards a bigger role. Instead, the Hawks dumped him to the Warriors, the Warriors lumped him into the mega deal that landed Andrew Wiggins and D’Angelo Russell, the Minnesota Timberwolves dumped him to the New York Knicks, and the Knicks waived him. Spellman’s built a good career playing overseas ever since.
4. Dorell Wright | 2009-10 | Miami Heat | Age: 24 — This was the start of the best stretch of Wright’s career. He posted a 97 PPA in this comp season, followed by a 118 (playing all 82 games) for Golden State, a 138 PPA the next season, and then a 113 with Philadelphia at age 27. His production declined from there.
5. Santi Aldama | 2022-23 | Memphis Grizzlies | Age: 22 — This comp is super interesting to me. I’ve liked Aldama as a player and thought his reputation was accelerating past his reality. Through five seasons, I have him with three that rated average or better with a peak PPA of 111 in 2024-25. He has another almost average year (97 PPA at age 23). While I suspect few would agree, there’s a case to be made that Champagnie is at least as productive as Aldama, if not better.

The honorable mentions are a mix of useful role players — several of whom fit a “tough-as-nails” mold like Champagnie seems to. The list includes: Kelenna Azubuike, Jae Crowder, Tari Eason (age 21), and Caleb Martin. No one who’s going to transform a franchise, but useful players in the right role on a good team.

My hope for Champagnie is that he gets a chance somewhere. I don’t think it’ll be in Washington, but perhaps he can be part of a trade that will net the Wizards something they need while getting him minutes with a team that can use him.

Warriors' Steve Kerr was ‘shocked' by Steph Curry's eye condition revelation originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steve Kerr had noticed something about Warriors’ star Steph Curry for years. He just never knew what it actually was.

Curry recently told “People Magazine” he was diagnosed with keratoconus, a rare and progressive eye condition, back in 2018 — disclosing it with a joke about his eventual memoir title. Speaking with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke, Kerr was asked to react to the revelation and to Curry’s own line about the diagnosis.

“He said it would be ‘The Whole Time I Couldn’t See,'” Burke relayed to Kerr, asking what he made of Curry’s accomplishments as the greatest 3-point shooter in NBA history knowing he had been dealing with blurry vision.

“It’s funny, because over the years, I’ve seen him at times kind of squinting — either back at me in the huddle or on the court — and nobody ever came and told me, ‘Yeah, he’s got this eye condition,'” Kerr said. “I don’t think anybody really knew. So yeah, I was shocked when that story came out. But imagine how good he’d be if he could see straight.”

The numbers make Kerr’s shock understandable. It was actually former general manager Bob Myers, not Kerr, who first noticed Curry’s squinting on television broadcasts and urged him to get examined during the 2018-19 NBA season.

At the time of his diagnosis, Curry was already a two-time champion in the middle of a stretch where he averaged nearly 27 points per game on close to 50-percent shooting and 43 percent from three — performing at an MVP level while relying almost entirely on muscle memory to compensate for a condition that was actively distorting his vision.

Seven seasons removed from his diagnosis and treatment, Curry has been remarkably consistent, shooting 92.3 percent from the free-throw line and 40.3 percent from three since. He now manages the condition with biannual checkups and has worn corrective contacts throughout that stretch — meaning the version of Curry Warriors fans have watched break record after record was never actually seeing the court the way everyone assumed he was.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

BOSTON — Jayson Tatum spent part of his Media Day press conference on Monday recounting how much he learned from Paul George on his basketball journey. He saw George thriving with a similar build, so he pulled from George’s style and emulated his mannerisms. As he looked back on those childhood memories, he looked up and saw George (wearing the No. 13 he acquired in a trade from Ron Harper Jr.) awaiting his own interview. They embraced as George approached the podium.

“As you get older in this league, it’s a weird cycle where you come in as a young guy and you throw on this shield to go against your idols,” George said. “You carry this ultra-competitive spirit, and then when you get older and you become the veteran and the older guy, I feel more and more guys have appreciated what I’ve done in my game, that have taken a liking to my game, the more I’ve leaned into that, helping them become better versions of what I am. That’s been the case with JT, Brandon Miller … whatever I can do to help them.”

George enters his 17th NBA season focused on helping Tatum, while at times pulling from his newfound health to produce at the level he had prior to the string of injuries he dealt with in recent years. The Celtics also know he and free agent addition Mike Conley Jr. will prove invaluable as mentors for the team’s ascending talent. While many of them grew up, George battled with LeBron James in back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals with the Pacers, triumphantly returned from a gruesome broken leg and sported one of basketball’s signature shoes.

Alongside Kevin Durant, James and Kobe Bryant, George represented the superstar Tatum aspired to becoming. And he wasn’t the only one. When the Celtics acquired George in July, Jordan Walsh immediately attempted to contact George and work out. They did so several times, and Walsh already learned several moves and tips from the veteran that he plans to utilize this season while attempting to become more of a threat offensively.

“We all, us younger guys, grew up watching these guys play,” Walsh said. “It was funny, the other day I was talking about how LeBron got drafted the year I was born, and I got to play against him, which was crazy. So having moments like that where it’s like, somebody you watched growing up, who was a legend in the game and now you gotta change your lens and look at them as an opponent. It’s a special thing. It’s a gift, but it’s also something that comes with a little more respect and humility to go out there and compete against them.”

Walsh said Brown also took time to mentor younger players and given his age, Tatum and Brown served as inspirations for him as much as the oldest remaining players in the league. Tatum bridged that gap by inviting players, including Walsh, to work out in Los Angeles during the summer and begin the process of getting to know each other’s games. They golfed, went out to dinner and held workouts with many of the Celtics’ players, who joined the workouts when they could. Those continued late in the summer into September in Auerbach Center.

Payton Pritchard gravitated toward Conley, who chose Boston out of a desire to play for one of the league’s most historic franchises before his career ends. They bonded over their love for golf, with Conley beating Pritchard 2-1 during their LA matchups, and talked about ways Pritchard could learn from the veteran entering his 20th year. Conley, older than his head coach Mazzulla, believes he still has more left to contribute on the floor, and stressed that the Celtics can follow he and George’s urgency to win their first championship late in their career. Ultimately, his greatest contributions could come off the court. Pritchard plans to pick his brain constantly.

“It’s just about giving them more and more to their plate every day I can,” Conley said earlier this month. “If there’s something I see, I’m not quiet about it. I’m just gonna say, hey, do this next time or look at this option, how many options do you got out of that? Me and Payton work a lot one-on-one with our workouts before practice or before five-on-five we play on a hoop or whatever. We’re talking the game all the time, ‘I shoot a floater, you should shoot a mid-range shot,’ … I’m excited to get my hands on different opportunities and give my brain to as many of those guys that are willing to listen and willing to learn from any input I have.”

I know you’re tired of reading about Amen Thompson’s jump shot.

The Houston Rockets aren’t immune to the usual offseason fare. Everyone’s stronger, everyone’s got the right mindset, and most importantly, everyone has improved their jump shot.

Until the season starts and it becomes apparent that some players have regressed. How is that possible? They spent all summer posting video footage of themselves beating non-NBA players in empty gym drills!

Cynicism aside, there’s reason to be optimistic about the Rockets. Many of their key players are young, so improvement is expected. Just don’t go into 2026-27 expecting Thompson to morph into a knockdown three-point shooter.

What is a reasonable expectation for the youngster?

Rockets’ Thompson can improve his shot

The Gold Standard for a wing improving his jumper is Kawhi Leonard, but actually, Leonard’s shot was never broken at the NBA level. He shot 37.6% from three as a rookie, and rarely (if ever) dipped below league average.

Of course, he worked with Chip Engelland before his rookie year.

In college, Leonard shot 25.0% from three-point range. So, that’s at least a bit of Engelland proof of concept that’s directly applicable to Thompson.

Skeptics will point out that Leonard is an outlier case, and they will be 100.0% correct. It’s rare for such a poor shooter to make such an improvement.

But it does happen.

How about LeBron James? He shot 29.0% from deep as a rookie (granted, this was what most NBA historians know as the Yao Ming Era), and didn’t start consistently shooting around league average until his 9th NBA season (age 27).

Need a less GOAT-ish example? Tobias Harris hit 26.1% of his rookie season threes and wasn’t very good until his sixth year (age 25).

Here’s where Thompson is a weird case. At 21, he was an older rookie. So he’s heading into age 24 season, and it’ll be his fourth year.

The (very limited set of) data here doesn’t know what to do with that. James and Harris both took longer to find their stroke, but if age is the more relevant variable, Thompson is close to where Harris was. He’s also worked with Engelland, but most who’ve found success with him started earlier, whether in college or their first couple of NBA seasons.

So, long and short, this has been an exercise in futility. It’s unknowable. Some will also point out that Thompson’s jumper will be perhaps Engelland’s greatest challenge yet.

The reality is that Thompson is likely to never be a “good” shooter. The objective is to get him to a place where a wide-open three is a good shot for the Rockets’ offense. Here’s a (not very) fun fact: Thompson shot 21.6% from deep last year. When he was designated as wide open by NBA.com? Yup:

21.6%.

That’s the same number. This suggests that the vast majority of Thompson’s threes were wide open. That’s likely to hold in 2026-27, but if he could get that number up to around 27-28%, it would be indicative of real improvement and a reason for optimism:

Although unfortunately, not reason enough to stop writing about it.

Warriors training camp takeaways: Steve Kerr unveils team's new 5-Out offense originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

LAIE, Hawaii – Warriors coach Steve Kerr described the first day of training for the 2026-27 NBA season on the campus of BYU-Hawaii as “good,” “spirited,” and “competitive.” 

The focus was installing new concepts defensively and offensively, naturally bringing a bit of chaos. After an early media day Monday morning, the Warriors flew to Hawaii and had a later practice Tuesday. While they did go live on Day 1, it was hardly an intense scrimmage. 

“It was controlled for all the live stuff,” Kerr said. “It was up and back maybe three times max. So it was controlled. We were trying to work on our transition defense, halfcourt execution.” 

Did anything specifically stand out to Kerr? 

“Nope,” he said. “Just a good, solid practice.” 

Yet there still was plenty to talk about. Here are three takeaways from the first day of Warriors training camp, which featured comments from Kerr, Al Horford and Steph Curry. 

5-Out offense 

The Warriors aren’t operating from a blank slate. This is Kerr’s 13th season as the team’s head coach. It’s Year 18 for Curry, and Year 15 for Green – all being in Golden State for both players. All three also appear rejuvenated in getting back to the drawing board. 

Tuesday’s practice was the first step in Kerr implementing a new offense. A major emphasis of his is having more of a 5-Out offense. Unfortunately for the Warriors, they already hit a bump in the road of their goal.

Kristaps Porziņģis’ ability to stretch the floor as a 3-point threat and be difference maker out of the post at 7-foot-2 is ideal in what Kerr wants to accomplish. The problem is, Porziņģis is nowhere near Warriors training camp. He did not travel to Hawaii, is out indefinitely to what the Warriors are calling a “health issue,” and Kerr is characterizing him as day-to-day once they come home from training camp. 

So, the Warriors are adjusting but not pivoting off their new philosophy. The goal is to get out on the perimeter and find actions that put pressure on the defense and give the Warriors as much of an advantage as possible in as many possessions as possible. 

The impetus in the Warriors’ shift is clear: The league has been changing and the Warriors can’t keep playing catch-up as a team that has missed the playoffs in four of the last seven seasons. 

“The evolution of the game, as it changes, if you don’t change with it, you’re going to fall behind,” Kerr said. “The league is filled with really smart people, coaches, analytics departments, young players who are as skilled as ever and you have to keep up with what’s happening. I think for the longest time, we played with two bigs, kind of played off the elbows. We didn’t play the five-out style that has kind of taken over the league, so over the last year or so, we’ve been, I would say, kind of leaning that way. 

“And this year, we’re really trying to hammer it home and create a system and a set of circumstances where our guys can make easier decisions.” 

As always, the Warriors’ offense goes as Curry goes. He has to be on board and in sync with Kerr’s adjustments. How does he view a five-out offense? 

“There’s a couple ways to think about it,” Curry said. “It’s a copycat league kind of mentality where a lot of teams that are trying to do it with different personnel, a lot more shooting bigs as threats that can make 5-Out become more of a problem. 

“But I think the biggest part for us is trying to make sure spots are interchangeable. So, no matter where you are on the court, you have options, and we’re all on the same page. We’ll see that a little bit more early in possessions, but I think it’s just a good way to get organized early in transition so that you have options and everybody’s a threat on the floor.” 

Center Rotation 

Next in line behind Porziņģis on the Warriors’ depth chart of centers is who he won a championship with in 2024 as a member of the Boston Celtics. Al Horford is back for his second season in a Warriors jersey, and the team will remain cautious in how to maximize his minutes and who he fits best next to. 

Ideally, Horford wouldn’t be the Warriors’ starting center. Kerr would like to play him 18 to 20 minutes after the 40-year-old averaged 21.5 minutes per game last season. In a perfect world, he would come off the bench, be a key part of the second unit and still be able to close certain games. 

But the unknown of Porziņģis’ availability could change the equation for Horford. If so, he and Draymond Green will have to be much better together this season. 

“I think Al’s great next to anybody, honestly,” Kerr said. “I think one of the things that we’re trying to do with the changes that we’re making are to give us more spacing for cutting angles, which would hopefully help a combination like Draymond and Al.” 

Green and Horford are two of the smartest players in the NBA. They’re great passing big men whose defense can change the outcome of games. Horford, who had a 36.1 3-point percentage last season, is a better shooter than Green, and the hope is a 5-Out offense can allow both of their best offensive qualities to shine. 

That isn’t how it went last season when the two shared the court. Horford and Green produced a minus-13.8 net rating together in their first year as teammates, including a lowly 99.3 offensive rating. Horford is confident they can succeed as a tandem, and knows there are areas he’d like to see improve. 

“I like the fact that him and I defensively, we seem to kind of feed off each other out there pretty well, and then on offense he’s such a smart player,” Horford said. “He’s always looking to make the right play, first of all, and a lot of the times I end up benefiting because I’m going to be open in certain spaces on the floor. So, it’s just being prepared to shoot the ball when he delivers. And then for me this year too, it’s just continuing to get familiar with him, with his passing and how he’s thinking. 

“I feel like he’s always two, three steps ahead with plays and everything. So, just really making sure that I’m trying to be in sync with him as quick as I can.”

Behind Porziņģis and Horford are Charles Bassey and Graham Ike. Neither are considered stretch big men. Their lack of being a threat from long distance doesn’t change any of the tweaks the Warriors are bringing in. 

And, Kerr isn’t shunning them for taking an open shot – at least until it’s time to nix that experiment. 

“I’m happy with open threes for both Ike and Bassey,” Kerr said. “Now, over time, you have to prove that it’s worth it. But both guys have worked hard on that, and I want them shooting those threes in camp and we’ll see where it goes.” 

Bassey did shoot 40.5 percent on 2.2 3-point attempts per game in the G League for the Santa Cruz Warriors last season, and though Graham Ike’s 34.8 3-point percentage in college on low volume doesn’t hint at a future threat from long distance, his 79.6 free throw percentage over his last three years is a strong indicator of good touch and the possibility of extending his range. 

Steph + Draymond Forever

The strongest statement Kerr made all day was regarding Green and his role on the Warriors. Let’s get one thing clear and out of the way: He isn’t coming out of the starting lineup. 

“The number one thing for me is that I’m going to keep Draymond and Steph together as much as possible,” Kerr said. “Those guys are still top of the league when it comes to offensive rating when they’re together. But like every season, we have new additions. We’re going to find the combinations that make the most sense for us beyond the Steph-Draymond level.” 

Even in an injury-filled season for Curry and a frustrating campaign for Green, the two continued to be the Warriors’ peanut butter and jelly. Numbers don’t lie, and the advanced stats saw Curry and Green put up a 117.7 offensive rating in 889 minutes together. Kerr isn’t splitting up those kinds of results, especially as Jimmy Butler rehabs a torn ACL. 

In so many ways they’re the opposite. In so many other ways, their chemistry is up there with the all-time greats. 

“Well, the plan is to play him with Steph,” Kerr said to a follow-up question. “So, if I bring Draymond off the bench, I’m also bringing Steph off the bench. I’m not comfortable telling Mike Dunleavy or Joe Lacob that I’m going to bring the two of them off the bench. Safe to say, they’ll both be starting. 

“I want to put those guys together, because all the tape work we did last year, all the analytics, they all show that when those two guys are together, they are still at the top of the league. And where the league has changed, it’s spacing. With what we did last year, what we learned from last year, yeah, there will be combinations that we’re going to find that we’re going to lean into when those guys are on the bench, and then the question becomes when one of them’s out, then what are we looking at? Those are all the things coaches have to figure out.” 

There will be changes seen and felt to start off the Warriors’ season. Curry and Green aren’t one of them.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Why De'Anthony Melton's first healthy Warriors training camp is boon for team originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – In the weeks before Klay Thompson departed in July 2024, the Warriors were lining up potential replacements. None existed, so they opted for a tag-team approach, bringing in Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton.

Hield would deliver 3-point shooting a half-tier below Thompson, while Melton would bring the stellar perimeter defense offered by prime Klay. Results were mixed.

Hield was traded in February. Melton remains, but his two seasons with the Warriors have been spotty due to health issues that have limited his availability – beginning with NBA training camp.

That will change this season. For the first time in three years, Melton is coming off a summer not dedicated to recovery and rehabilitation. The 6-foot-3 guard spent the past two summers mending his back (2024) and strengthening his knee after ACL surgery (2025).

The summer of ’26 provided time for Melton to focus on his overall game, allowing much better odds of giving the Warriors the two-way contributor they visualized two years ago. His surgically repaired left knee feels “well,” he said this week, so there are no limitations.

“It’s a little different,” Melton said of his summer regimen. “But I think every year and every summer, I used to kind of go through not necessarily a rehab stage, but a time where you work on managing your body and making sure you’re reaching tip-top shape once the season rolls around. For me it was just more so just maintaining and getting strengthened in certain areas.”

A fully healthy Melton – he expects to play both sides of back-to-back sets – might be ready to join Stephen Curry to form potentially the strongest Golden State backcourt since Thompson.

“I’m excited for De’Anthony,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told NBC Sports Bay Area in a recent conversation. “Last year, he had he had a great first two-thirds of the year. He was fantastic. And then, without Steph and Jimmy (Butler), we really had to rely too heavily on Melt and some of the other guys.”

After missing six weeks last season, Melton was activated Dec. 4 and spent his first 24 games coming off the bench with mixed results. His defense was solid, but his shooting was erratic even while scoring in double digits 15 times. After Curry was sidelined on Jan. 30, Melton’s efficiency nosedived. Over the rest of the season, he shot 39.1 percent from the field, including 28.9 percent from deep while playing through a sprained right thumb.

In addition, Melton too often dribbled into trouble, leading to the highest turnover rate of his eight-year NBA career. Clearly feeling an increased burden without Curry and Butler, Melton lapsed into numerous “hero ball” moments.

“With Steph out, I think Melt was trying to take on too much responsibility,” Kerr said.

Melton doesn’t disagree.

“I think going through those times, I was just trying to figure out the best ways for my team to kind of win honestly, to be in the best position,” Melton said this week. “Some of the instances where I had to stay aggressive, and at the same time the coaching staff was telling me to stay aggressive and try to create advantages.”

Finding the right partner to start alongside Curry in the backcourt is one of the vital elements to the Warriors having a chance for success this season. One option is Brandin Podziemski, hardly a conventional shooting guard. The other is Melton, who has Curry’s endorsement.

“He’s just versatile,” Curry said last season. “Defensively, he can guard on the ball, point of attack. He plays passing lanes. He’s just smart. Quick on his feet and has a crazy wingspan where he can be a pest out there.

“And then offensively, he’s a solid knock-down shooter. Can catch and shoot, but he’s one of the few that has a pace to him where when he puts the ball on the floor, he can create something. He’s a prototypical starting 2 guard and he’s played on good teams, so he knows what that level looks like. I’m happy that he’s healthy and able to do it for us.”

Melton, 28, might be healthier now than he was after that Jan. 7 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. The next step would be proving he can stay healthy through his first full Golden State training camp and maybe impressing the coaching staff enough to earn a starting role.

“Just to be able to start (camp) from the jump is definitely refreshing for me,” Melton said. “Just to get off to the year at a good start is important.”

On a training-camp roster with more questions than answers, Melton wants to be a staple. He’ll never be a five-time NBA All-Star like Thompson, but he has the goods to make things at least a little easier for Curry.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Rui Hachimura moved on from the Lakers, and he’s hoping his fans do, too.

On his official Instagram account @blacksamurai, a clip of Hachimura gifting a Clippers jersey to a fan was posted. The fan originally was wearing Hachimura’s No. 28 Lakers jersey, but the forward asked the boy to swap it for a new Clippers jersey instead.

“This one looks way cooler,” Hachimura said of the Clippers’ threads. “Everyone, please go buy the Clippers jersey.”

Rui Hachimura gifts a young fan a Clippers jersey to replace his Lakers one pic.twitter.com/mo0pT5N5qm

— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) September 29, 2026

Hachimura signed a two-year, $28 million deal with the Clippers in July. He spent parts of four seasons with the Lakers and averaged 11.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. He shot 51.4% overall and 44.3% from 3-point range in 2025-26.

Hachimura joins the crosstown rivals at a dark time in the franchise’s history.

The Clippers were stripped of five first-round picks, fined $30 million, and owner Steve Ballmer and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank face suspensions. It’s a trying time for an organization that has never quite stepped out of the Lakers’ shadow.

The 2026-27 campaign will be a key opportunity for the organization to win fans back after the summer’s biggest scandal.

Interim president of basketball operations Trent Redden issued an apology from the team at Clippers media day Monday.

“Our fans deserve to hear from us before this, and for that we’re sorry,” Redden said Monday. “We’ve been listening to the thoughts, the concerns and feeling the emotions of our fan base. They mean everything to us. … We hope to fulfill our promises to them, to build their trust and move forward through this time.

“This franchise often has done its best work with its back against the wall … We hope to represent our fans the same way we always have in dark times, by coming out fighting.”

The Clippers are attempting to retain their fan base, but it appears Hachimura is hoping to add Lakers fans to the group ahead of his inaugural season with the team.

Dub Nation, the Golden State Warriors went 0-2 against the Philadelphia 76ers last season. That Philly team had a young, springy energy through Tyrese Maxey and the rookie V.J. Edgecombe. Those two dudes were a two-headed monster that took turns giving the Warriors fits. Steph Curry missed both contests, and former MVP Joel Embiid played in only one, but regardless it was clear that Philly was a force to be reckoned with.

This year? They have suddenly morphed into the modern-day Monstarz, with the additions of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. Damn.

Philly pried the Finals MVP out of Boston in July. A few weeks later, King James decided the last chapter of his career would happen right back in the conference where he spent most of it. The Eastern Conference was his house for a decade and a half, and he ran it like a landlord who changes the locks whenever he feels like it. LeBron spent two stints in Cleveland and four years in Miami pushing that whole conference around, and he made eight straight Finals out of the East while he was at it. He was already in the greatest-of-all-time conversation before he ever put on a Lakers jersey in 2018.

The biggest knock on him for 20 years has been that he runs off to build superteams. So what does he do at 41? He walks into what might be the deepest roster he’s ever had, which is saying something for a guy who played on some damn good Cleveland, Miami, and L.A. rosters.

Look at who he’s sharing the floor with! Maxey is an All-Star and Edgecombe is coming for everybody’s lunch. Embiid is a premier center when his body cooperates, and now Brown is there too, simmering with motivation after being dumped by the Celtics.

LeBron: Top 10 player of all time
Embiid: MVP-caliber player
Maxey: 28ppg last season
Brown: 29ppg last season, champ, F-MVP

The worst of the starting five is a Edgecomb, who averaged 16/6/4 as a rookie last season.

Is this not one of the super-est teams of all time? https://t.co/E2Wehq6yu4

— Jim Park🏀🌌 (@Sheridanblog) September 28, 2026

LeBron is the headline, but I keep coming back to Brown, because none of this happens without that trade. Warriors fans know Brown well from the 2022 Finals, when he gave Golden State fits in a series the Dubs won in six. He spent his entire career on the other side of that rivalry, and now he’s wearing their colors. Josh Grieb at Liberty Ballers put it in wrestling terms, which might be the only language that fits:

The excitement around James joining the Sixers and his first day at the team’s practice facility nearly overshadowed the first major domino that brought him here in the first place. While it wasn’t Jaylen Brown’s first time talking to the Philadelphia media, it was also his first time wearing a Sixers uniform. Frankly, it was weird to see a guy who spent the first 10 years of his career terrorizing the Sixers as a member of the Boston Celtics put on the other team’s jersey.

It didn’t feel any more real when VJ Edgecombe crashed his press conference, prompting Brown to jokingly tell him to get his ass out of there like they had been teammates for years. I think I finally understand how people felt when Hulk Hogan joined the nWo.

Lebron describing his teammates and his role with the 76ers:

Embiid: Beast
Jaylen: Motivated
Maxey: Lightning
VJ: Star
His role: Swiss Army knife pic.twitter.com/D9wHTjbpzK

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) September 28, 2026

So here’s LeBron at 41, and the Atlantic Division rivalries are already lined up waiting for him. Boston is the obvious one: a bitter rivalry just got a defector, and Brown gets to hear what the Garden sounds like when it boos him. The Knicks are the defending champs after winning their first title in over 50 years, and if LeBron is the guy who ends that title defense, he goes straight to the top of New York’s villain list. I’d bet he’d love every second of it. Toronto has Kawhi Leonard now, so we get Bron and Kawhi again more than a decade after their back-to-back Spurs-Heat Finals. Brooklyn is a rest night.

And through all of this, Philadelphia is still waiting on its first championship since 1983.

For the Warriors, the best part of this summer happened when LeBron left the West. That’s one less obstacle in the Western bracket, and the Dubs remember exactly what that obstacle looked like when the Lakers knocked them out in the 2023 conference semis. Now Steph is on the other coast, LeBron is a guy he sees twice a year, and there’s only one way that turns into a series.

That way would be a Finals. Steph and LeBron met in four straight of them from 2015 to 2018, and nobody thought we’d get a fifth.

But we’ve seen plenty of superteams look great on paper and never come together, whether because of chemistry or injuries. ESPN’s Sixers preview hit this nail on the head:

Embiid’s health will be monitored, as it has been the past few years. So will James’, as he’s averaged an admirable 67 games the past three years as he plays well into his 40s. Much regular-season weight will be placed on a new acquisition in Brown, a second-year emerging star in Edgecombe and a franchise mainstay in Maxey.

Will there be enough continuity through the first six months to cash in during the playoffs? Recent history says it takes a couple of years for talent to coalesce, but do the 76ers have that kind of time with James and Embiid? James’ personal history says by Year 2, his teams are ready to win titles. It seems, though, that the 76ers are loaded up for this June, not next June.

“The East is bully ball.” 🔥

After eight seasons out West, LeBron James breaks down the challenge ahead as he returns to the East with Philadelphia in search of his 10th Eastern Conference crown! pic.twitter.com/8fQSHaiz2B

— NBA TV (@NBATV) September 28, 2026

Circle Philly on the calendar, Dub Nation. It’s two games in the regular season, and maybe, just maybe, a preview of one last Steph-LeBron series.

When the Nets added Moritz Wagner, they didn’t get a needed shot-blocker.

But they did get a veteran backup to Day’Ron Sharpe. And a different look from any center they’ve had in years.

And maybe, just maybe, an ace recruiter for their next star.

Wagner — signed away from the Magic, and younger brother Franz — isn’t going to replace the departed Nic Claxton’s rim protection. He can’t.

But he’s going to be a defensive disruptor, playing a style under Jordi Fernández that may fit his skills better than Orlando’s — which relied on elite athleticism and rebounding — ever did.

“I’ll be honest with you, I love this. I want to be disruptive. I want to be active on the ball,” Wagner, 29, said. “I don’t think it’s a secret — I’ve been in the league eight years — I’m not a shot-blocker. I contest shots and I give it my all, but I’m not Anthony Davis. I’m not going to beat people up on the rim.

“So I like to be aggressive early, and I want to be disruptive and be able to make people speed up and take charges and stuff like that. So I’m actually extremely excited about that stuff because it plays a little more towards my strength. [Fernández] is super aggressive at the ball screen and stuff like that. We have all these quick guards, they’ll help you to eat up space. So it’s been super fun so far.”

It’s easy for Wagner to enjoy his time with rebuilding Brooklyn now, before the losses start. But while he’ll miss his brother, whose tenure in Orlando is going to be watched carefully all season,Wagner will be a fit both schematically and culturally.

The Nets struggled defensively even before dealing Claxton. Now they’re even more bereft of rim protection. But Fernández wants to play up at the level and be more aggressive further upcourt to force turnovers, unlike Orlando, which defended the rim and dominated the glass.

The Nets inked Wagner to a two-year, $19 million deal this summer understanding that he’s not going to be a shot-blocker, but a shotmaker, and a vocal defender.

For his part, Fernández doesn’t anticipate changing schemes but leaning even further into what the Nets do.

“No, the reality is we have an identity defensively and we’re going to stick with what we believe works. … Then the more you grow, the more you can expand your coverages,” Fernández said. “So we’re going to be an aggressive team on both ends of the floor.”

Wagner should also feel comfortable living in New York.

He’s already been doing it.

“I’ve always loved New York. I love that I get an opportunity to play here, and at a point where this organization is trying to make the next steps to win. I’m excited to be here,” Wagner said.

“I’ve spent a lot of time in New York. This is somewhat of a home to me in America just because it reminds me a lot of where I’m from. Brooklyn is as close as it gets in the U.S. to Berlin. So I’m not necessarily new here. … I take the subway all the time. I love the subway. It’s so convenient, cheap when you go into Manhattan. So yeah, I’ve actually lived here for quite some time. So yeah, I love Brooklyn. I love New York.”

His younger brother seemingly does as well. But just how much?

The elephant in the room is whether one Wagner could help recruit the other.

To date, the whole of the ill-fitting Franz Wagner-Paolo Banchero duo has been less than the sum of its parts. If Magic GM Jeff Weltman decides to break them up, the Nets could try to get the brothers back together.

Franz spoke Monday about missing his older brother already, never having played an NBA game without him as a teammate.

“It’s a work in progress. He spent three weeks down here in Orlando, it’s definitely been a little weird being alone at the house, to work [out] alone and stuff like that. Obviously it’s bittersweet,” Franz said. “I love playing with my brother, we shared a lot of cool memories here in Orlando together.”

The Knicks had a special visitor Tuesday.

NBA legend Rajon Rondo was a guest at the first official practice of the season.

Jalen Brunson, now a championship-winning point guard, has recently built a relationship with the two-time champion point guard and potential Hall of Famer.

“I got to talk to him, got to really get to know him this summer,” Brunson said. “I definitely watched him. He was just so creative and someone who was innovative in the way they play basketball.

“Definitely an icon when I was younger. So it was really cool to get to know him and his family.”

---

New Knicks center Andre Drummond was on the other side of the team’s rivalry with the 76ers the past two years.

He remembers vividly just how much Knicks fans took over the Philadelphia arena during the second round, when the Knicks swept the 76ers.

“It was crazy,” Drummond said Tuesday. “It felt like an away game the whole series. They came down and took over the entire arena.

“Crazy seeing some of the fans from [Philadelphia] even wearing Knicks jerseys, too, so the Knicks fanbase is just far and wide. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world. It’s the basketball Mecca, so they did what they were supposed to do.”

---

Two of the biggest moves this offseason were LeBron James signing with the 76ers and Giannis Antetokounmpo being traded to the Heat.

Both praised the Knicks — and specifically, Brunson — at their respective Media Days on Monday.

“I really do appreciate it and I respect the hell out of them,” Brunson said. “It’s honestly really cool, and it’s a sign of respect. To hear that from those guys, I really do appreciate it. It’s just like a lot of things — when you hear praise, when you hear negativity, it has to go through one ear and out the other. You gotta continue to be the best version of yourself or people are gonna pass you. I really do appreciate it, it shows where I’ve grown, but still got a lot of work to do.”

Nolan Traore spent last season as a waifish rookie, one too slight and skinny to finish at the rim. 

The young point guard returned to the Nets bigger and brawnier. 

It remains to be seen if he’s better. 

“He’s a year older, and maturity is important — presence, confidence, all that. And you can see him with his sleeveless, and how much [bigger he is],” Nets coach Jordi Fernández said. “It’s great. He’s put the work in. You watch him move around and play. It’s a second-year player, now he knows a little bit more about what is the NBA, and I’m excited to watch him play.” 

Anybody who watched Traore at the start of camp saw a more muscular version — because he was wearing a sleeveless hoodie to show off his newfound physique, earned through hours of lifting over the offseason. 

Though Traore missed summer league — recovering from June arthroscopic surgery — he clearly hit the weight room. 

“My knee is completely fine now, so there’s no concern,” Traore, 20, said. “For me, [the offseason] was more the physical aspect. Obviously the shooting, too. I worked a lot on it and I feel good now. Changed a few things, too. 

“Offseason was a lot of [time in the] gym. That was the main thing. Focusing on just getting better as a player, watching clips from the playoffs or watching reads. Working on my shot, too.” 

While Traore did focus on more repeatable shot mechanics, more important might be the 10 pounds of good weight he packed on. After being a lithe 180 pounds coming into training camp as a rookie, he tipped the scales at a more solid 190 this year. 

Part of that is the help of sports and performance dietitian Sarah Wenig, and the Nets training staff, and more from his own weight room diligence. 

The Nets hope it will help what was arguably league-worst finishing. 

Of every player who attempted at least 100 layups, his 44.4 percent was dead last. He’s expecting his added muscle to help. 

“Yeah, for sure. Now instead of going around players like I was doing, maybe I’ll go through them a little bit more, and I’ll be able to absorb contact way more than last year. So of course it’s going to help me,” said Traore, adding finishing is part muscle and part mentality. “You’ve got to have both, but it’s easier when you’re stronger.” 

Although the Nets drafted Mikel Brown Jr. sixth overall at point guard, Traore’s development is vital. Of their record five first-round rookies last year, only lottery pick Egor Dëmin was taken higher than Traore. That makes the latter’s development vital, with Fernández showing faith in the guard’s promise. 

“I think he’s a good finisher,” Fernández said. “Once again, you guys are judging a rookie going into the NBA, a 19-year-old at the time. He’s 20 now. So I don’t see any problems in his finishing.” 

Last year’s playoffs might have only been an appetizer. 

The postseason brought out a new version of the Knicks offense — one that fueled a historically dominant championship run. But it was born out of desperation, a change made on the fly after they fell to a 2-1 series deficit in the first round against the Hawks. Now, the Knicks have a full training camp and preseason to practice and experiment with it. 

And, ideally, take it to a new level. 

“I feel like we can do a lot more, do a lot of different things,” Jalen Brunson said after the first Knicks practice of the season Tuesday. “I think we unlocked something last year in the playoffs at a time of need and it worked. It’s gonna be fun to kind of integrate it from the beginning of the season, too.” 

The most important change was the well-documented decision to alter how they used Karl-Anthony Towns in the offense — having him serve as a “hub” at the elbows and facilitate with the ball in his hands. It allowed Brunson to play a bit more off the ball and took some of the playmaking burden off his shoulders. It amplified Towns’ prowess as a passer — in turn dragging opposing centers out of the paint — and also allowed OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges to thrive as cutters and screen setters around Towns. The Knicks’ offensive efficiency exploded as a result. 

That role for Towns will continue to be a focal point going into this year, with a few potential new twists. 

“Obviously playing with KAT at the elbow a little bit more than what we did [in the regular season last year],” coach Mike Brown said Tuesday. “Being with this group for a year now, you get a better feel of what players can do what. Like I didn’t know if OG could be as effective as he was in the pick-and-roll game. Same with Mikal. So to try to continue to find ways to get those guys involved at the top of the floor is something that we’ll take a look at. 

“We have great cutters that have tremendous size. We’ll continue to mix that in, and we all know that KAT is a really good facilitator at the elbow. Maybe Andre [Drummond] is too? I don’t know. Maybe we move OG to the five a little bit more than what we did last year. So there are a lot of different ways we can go with the team on both ends of the floor. The biggest thing is knowing that nothing’s set in stone.” 

Those potential new roles for Anunoby and Bridges are particularly interesting. Brown’s system for most of last year emphasized Anunoby and Bridges staying in the corners for kick-out 3-pointers — or as Brown calls them, “sprays.” Bridges and Anunoby led the NBA in corner 3-point attempts during the regular season last year, taking 199 and 198, respectively, per the league’s official tracking stats. It was a core tenet of the Knicks offense. 

But both grew as ball handlers and slashers — creating their own shots — during the playoffs. Anunoby, in particular, at times carried the offense, showing an ability to score off the dribble and delivering some of the best production of his career. 

Maybe letting him spend time away from the corners and in the middle of the floor can help bring out the best version of him — an All-Star-caliber version. The idea of increasingly using Anunoby as a small-ball center is also notable given Drummond is the only backup center behind Towns that is a lock to make the roster. 

“There’s a lot that will carry over for this year. We’ll also experiment with some new things here and there, but the stuff that we had in the playoffs may not work during the regular season. So we have to be ready to evolve or pivot as the year goes along and hopefully come close to playoff time, we’re trending upwards so that we feel we’re in a pretty good spot with the confidence needed to take off from there.” 

That ability to adapt is critical. It only happened because a veteran-heavy group was willing to come together and adjust their own roles for the greater good. It hinged on a close-knit team’s ability to communicate honestly and openly. 

“I think as a group, we figured out that we need each other to win, obviously, and we need each other to be on the same page,” Brunson said. “You never know when things are going to turn for you, when things are gonna click for you. But as long as you keep putting the work in every single day, you keep tapping the rock, tapping the rock, eventually it’s going to break.” 

Now, there’s a new rock to tap. 

It’s hard to imagine a better version of basketball than the playoff finish by the Knicks: 13 wins in the final 14 games — several in utterly dominant fashion. 

But as the encore got underway this week at the Tarrytown practice facility, coach Mike Brown twice pumped the brakes on the idea that the steamroll will persist. At Monday’s Media Day, he cautioned that adversity is inevitable.

The Knicks certainly experienced that during a 2-9 stretch last season in January. 

And after Tuesday’s first practice, the championship coach acknowledged the impossibility of maintaining the near perfection of the playoffs. 

“We’re not playing at that level for 82 games,” Brown said. “You know, we played at a pretty high level, and … that’s not going to happen over 82 games. You know, for me, the 82-game season is about trying to find your way.” 

Indeed, the Knicks aren’t predicted to smash any regular-season records. The East is too good and the veteran Knicks have clearly learned about pacing toward a sprint finish. A year ago, the young Thunder were coming off a championship and quickly threatened 70 victories (amid injuries, Oklahoma City finished with a 64-18 record). New York’s Over/Under for wins this season is in the low to mid-50s, depending on the sportsbook. 

Part of the early adjustment will be trying to recapture the efficiency of an offense with Karl-Anthony Towns as the hub, a strategy that will become more difficult to implement when the opposition studies enough film to counter. The Knicks benefited from the element of surprise during the playoffs. They also weren’t dealing with tense contract negotiations — a reality facing the Knicks now, as extensions for Towns, Josh Hart and Miles McBride remain unoffered or unsigned. 

“You don’t want that trickling into the season. Because whenever there’s uncertainty, there’s gonna be a lot of questions, there’s gonna be a lot of rumors,” Hart said. “At a human level, sometimes that can wear people down, and it can affect how you go out and handle business on a day-to-day basis.” 

Another potential early hurdle, at least for the start of the season, is a rusty Jalen Brunson. The star point guard is coming off left wrist surgery that disrupted his typical summer routine. 

“I don’t want to say I’m catching up,” Brunson said. “I feel good, but also I know that it wasn’t just my normal summer.” 

Surgery to his left hand two years ago — after he fractured it in Game 7 of the 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Pacers — was less of a hindrance because the rehab started earlier in the offseason (his procedure was in May). This time, Brunson didn’t know surgery was necessary until July. 

“I was shooting earlier [two years ago] than I was this time. I was in a cast longer this time than I was before when I broke my hand,” Brunson said. “Plus it was a little bit earlier, I think I got surgery right after it happened [two years ago]. I didn’t get surgery for my wrist until like three weeks later because I didn’t know it was a necessity.” 

It was also a once-in-a-lifetime type of summer for Brunson, who didn’t shy from the off-the-court limelight and opportunities that come with ending a 53-year title drought. He found it hard to relax. 

“It exceeded expectations, honestly,” Brunson said about being a champ in NYC. “Winning in New York was no joke. It was a really cool experience. … Have I decompressed at all? Not really. I’m gonna be honest with you, not really. But I’ve had times where I had time to relax. I enjoyed that. I spent time getting away from everything. Most times, it was rehabbing. Once I was out of the cast and cleared, I had obligations I had to go through, so I did all of that. But I feel good. And I know where to go to get to my happy place. I know where to go when I need to decompress. I’m good.” 

Brunson was obviously more than “good” in the playoffs. He was extraordinary. So were the Knicks. But they’re not making that the regular-season baseline. 

“We’re gonna face new challenges throughout the course of the year. We’re gonna hit adversity, which, you know I said this last year, we’re gonna embrace it,” Brown said, “but we’re gonna hit adversity in an 82-game season.”

The hole left by LeBron James’ departure is a wide-stretching one within the Lakers.

On the court, the team will have to replace roughly 20 points, six rebounds and five assists per game along with the intangible impact he had on a nightly basis. Off the court, and perhaps more to that point about the intangibles, the leadership void will likely be the biggest.

No matter what his role or status was during games, LeBron was The Guy for the Lakers. He was the star around which all others orbited. Even if the team was moving into the Luka Dončić era, LeBron was still, at the very least, a leader of the team.

His departure, then, leaves a massive leadership void that the pair of Luka and Austin Reaves will be tasked with filling this season. For Luka, it’s a role he’s very familiar with. For Austin, it’s unchartered waters.

“People lead in different ways,” Austin said on Monday at Media Day. “I’m not someone that’s going to sit out here and scream at people. I like to talk to people one-on-one, have a real conversation. That way, people will never feel like I’m trying to embarrass them in front of people.

“If it’s practice, whenever we have a down period of time, pulling people to the side, talking to them about what I see, what I think they can do better. Just trying to give everybody my input and how I see things to help them moving forward.”

It’s not necessarily a natural role for Austin, who has spent much of his basketball career scrapping for his spot even before entering the league. Rarely are former two-way players ever looked upon as leaders, but it’s even rarer for two-way players to earn the nearly max deal that Austin Reaves got this summer.

Big contracts bring big expectations. Reaves can no longer be The Other Guy on a roster, hiding behind Luka or LeBron.

“I think he improved a lot,” Luka said of Austin’s leadership. “He talks more to a lot of people. Obviously, the new players, they’re going to look up to him, asking things. I think he took a big step forward.”

As for Luka himself, while this is a new role for him in the purple and gold, it’s one he’s very familiar with. Not only was he the leader in Dallas from an early age, but even his time in Europe as a teenager saw a lot placed on his shoulders.

“I was in this position in my career a lot of times, so it’s not new to me,” Luka said. “But I feel great. I feel excited and, like I said, I’m ready to go. It’s been a long time since I’ve played basketball so I’m ready.”

The often-goofy, always-competitive duo might not be seen as natural leaders, but the Lakers are banking on that competitiveness to be the driving force.

“Obviously, together, they’re immature,” Jarred Vanderbilt said. “But the maturity level, I’ve seen it rise since I’ve been here and seen both of them together. They know that there’s a lot that comes with the position that they’re in.

“I think with both of them, they’ve done a great job of, in their own rights, cultivating the culture and showing the new guys the way.”

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Walker Kessler wasn’t focused on the stats. He wasn’t really counting the number of shots he swatted — “one or two” — or lobs he dunked — “like four probably” — in his official Lakers practice debut Tuesday.

The only thing the star center cared about was the competition on the court. He and his teammates delivered on that, Kessler said with a smile.

The Lakers opened training camp Tuesday with a focus on competition as the new-look team takes shape. Six of the team’s top nine players from last season are gone. A month’s worth of practices and five preseason games are the stage as players audition to fill the vacant roles.

“This is a meritocracy,” coach JJ Redick said. “You got to earn your minutes, and you cheer for your teammates while you’re doing it.”

Redick can confidently lock in three starters in Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Kessler. The other two starting positions, and even the last spots on the roster as the Lakers need to trim at least one player to reach the NBA-maximum of 15 guaranteed contracts by the Oct. 21 season opener, remain up for grabs.

That’s how players prefer things.

Read more:Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves ready to take charge of new-look Lakers

“Everybody has something to prove,” forward Sandro Mamukelashvili said at media day Monday. “Everybody’s very excited for the season. The guys are hard workers.”

Mamukelashvili, praised for his versatility and ability to be what Redick called “a connector” on offense, is in the mix for the starting power forward position along with Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt and Ziaire Williams. The stiffest competition comes on the wing, where the Lakers lauded their depth between offseason additions Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle and Williams, rookie Cameron Carr and progressing second-year forward Adou Thiero.

Redick said he has tried to give players clearly defined roles for them to earn minutes, and the depth of the wing group makes for a minuscule difference between fulfilling those requirements to stay on the court and falling short and sitting on the bench. After one day, Redick proudly reported the group “understood the assignment.”

“That was exciting,” Redick said. “They set the tone for us defensively. There was a lot of physicality, a lot of grabbing and holding, a lot of disruption without gambling.”

After general manager Rob Pelinka reset the roster to match the timelines for the 27-year-old Doncic and 28-year-old Reaves, the group of almost all 20-somethings was eager and receptive to the first day of camp, Redick said. Players who were not participating in live play still peppered coaches with questions.

Redick, entering his third season as a head coach, relished the buy-in and interest from the young team.

Read more:How a healthy and motivated Walker Kessler could transform the Lakers' defense

“In terms of myself, the teaching part of it was something that I’ve maybe grown a little bit since like the very first practice I coached two years ago,” Redick said. “It’s a little different now.”

Last season, the Lakers relied on vocal veteran leaders such as LeBron James, 41, and Marcus Smart, 32. Now they have just one player in his 30s: That’s 30-year-old Kevon Looney, who smiled at the thought that he is suddenly the elder statesman of the team.

While Redick has emphasized the importance of Doncic and Reaves growing into larger leadership roles, Redick still set the tone from the coaching staff for the first day of practice.

“In film, I was ready to go fight somebody or something,” Kessler said, raising his fists with a smile. “He’s such a good motivator. He’s incredible. He’s really incredible. Having someone that’s done it for 15 years playing and now three years coaching, it’s easy to see why he’s so successful.”

Beyer retires

Lakers assistant coach Bob Beyer retired this offseason, Redick confirmed Tuesday. The longtime assistant was a key part of Redick’s coaching staff when the first-time head coach was hired. Redick played for five seasons under Beyer in Orlando and then again in New Orleans.

“He’s, like, someone I explicitly trust and believe in,” Redick said. “He’s an incredible teacher. He was an incredible mentor for a lot of our young coaches and an incredible example.”

JJ Redick on assistant coach Bob Beyer's retirement this offseason: "He's an incredible teacher. He was an incredible mentor for a lot of our young coaches and an incredible example." pic.twitter.com/De2pFaXyrl

— Thuc Nhi Nguyen (@thucnhi21) September 29, 2026

While the retirement took Redick by surprise because Beyer shared the news late in the offseason, Redick said he understood the reasons. The 64-year-old Beyer joked he was “basically retired” by the time Redick called with the Lakers’ job in 2024. Two seasons later, he was ready to retire for good.

“He’s a legend,” Redick said. “We all love him. We’re so appreciative of everything you did for us.”

Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.