Training camp opened with Lakers beat writers chasing two threads: a run of promises about tougher defense, and JJ Redick's open competition for the starting five. Underneath both, Jake LaRavia described a summer spent fixing what went wrong in a season that produced 8.2 points a game across 82 appearances.
Talking Tough on D
Outlets covering camp leaned hard on defense this week. Lakers Nation's Daniel Starkand and the Los Angeles Times' Broderick Turner both had Austin Reaves praising the defensive personnel JJ Redick has assembled, and ESPN's Ben Golliver quoted Walker Kessler calling the group's potential nasty. Silver Screen and Roll's Jackson Frank had Quentin Grimes vowing to get back to his defensive roots, and Lakers Nation's Corey Hansford had Matisse Thybulle saying he is looking forward to playing alongside Kessler inside. The praise runs ahead of the record: the Lakers finished last season 19th in defensive rating at 115.5, and Kessler himself logged only five games before health became the swing factor rather than a settled fact.
Redick's Open Competition
The Los Angeles Times' Thuc Nhi Nguyen framed camp as a meritocracy, and Lakers Nation's Ron Gutterman had Redick making clear the starting lineup is still a genuine competition, with Corey Hansford reporting three goals Redick laid out for the week and Kessler saying he left the team's first practice fired up by Redick's opening speech. The competition itself remains open: Dave McMenamin reported September 25 that Redick was already weighing the starting five, alongside Slovenia and trade targets, and several more days of camp coverage have produced enthusiasm but no names.
LaRavia's Quiet Repair
Jake LaRavia was this week's quietest story in two separate outlets: Lakers Nation's Ron Gutterman and Silver Screen and Roll's Jackson Frank both reported he spent the offseason studying a season that produced 8.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 25.1 minutes across 82 games. Frank also tracked the opposite kind of buzz gathering around rookie wing Adou Thiero, had Ziaire Williams calling it a blessing to play for the team he grew up watching in Los Angeles, and had Bronny James saying he is motivated to prove himself this season.
What is Jake LaRavia working on this offseason?
Beat reporters say he spent the summer addressing a season that produced just 8.2 points and 4.0 rebounds in 25.1 minutes across 82 games, with a 32.1 percent mark from three.
Is Walker Kessler healthy entering Lakers camp?
Silver Screen and Roll quoted Kessler saying he feels 110 percent healthy, a notable claim after a 2025-26 season limited to five games total.
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