The speeches are over. The work has started. Lakers training camp opened Tuesday, September 29, at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, and JJ Redick set the tone with one word: meritocracy. With six of last season’s top nine players gone, nine new faces on the roster and at least one roster cut still to come, the coach made it clear that nobody is getting minutes on reputation. Day 1 also brought a surprise staff change, a new role for Sandro Mamukelashvili, a clean bill of health and a first look at what the new-look Lakers want to be.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the opening practice as camp continues this week.
Lakers Training Camp Opens With a “Meritocracy” Mandate
Redick did not soften his message. “This is a meritocracy,” he said after practice. “You got to earn your minutes, and you cheer for your teammates while you’re doing it.” He went further when asked about competition for rotation spots: “The competition, that’s what the league is. This is a meritocracy.”
He also gave the players a real example from his own tenure. “Max Christie, our first year, was in the rotation,” Redick said. “He was horrible to start the year. We told him that he wasn’t doing what we asked him to do. He didn’t play. And then, when he got back into the rotation, he eventually earned a starting spot and he turned our season around.”
The stakes are concrete. Redick has named only three locked starters, and the Lakers must trim at least one player to reach the NBA maximum of 15 guaranteed contracts by the October 21 season opener. A month of practices and five preseason games will decide the rest. Redick said he has given players clearly defined roles, and the margin between earning minutes and sitting is small, especially on a deep wing group.
After one day, Redick liked what he saw. The group “understood the assignment,” he said. “That was exciting. 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.”
Redick’s Three Goals for Camp
Because the Lakers spent August and September in small-group workouts, Redick said the camp install is already well underway. “In terms of installs and teaching for at least this portion of the preseason, it doesn’t really change anything,” he said. He then laid out three goals:
- Defensive principles: “Continue to establish our defensive principles.”
- Early offense: “Continue to establish our early offense, which has been our main priority for all of September.”
- Conditioning: “And then lastly, just get in great shape.”
“We’ve gotten terrific buy-in for the last several weeks and today was very additive to those three things,” Redick added. The coach, entering his third season after back-to-back 50-win seasons and Pacific Division titles, also said his own teaching has changed. “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,” he said. “It’s a little different now.”
Bob Beyer Retires From Redick’s Staff
The day’s biggest off-court news: longtime assistant coach Bob Beyer has retired. Redick confirmed it Tuesday. Beyer was a key part of the staff when Redick was hired in 2024, and Redick played five seasons under him in Orlando and 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.” Redick said the news came late in the offseason and surprised him, but he understood. The 64-year-old Beyer had joked that he was “basically retired” when Redick first called in 2024. “He’s a legend,” Redick said. “We all love him.”
Mamukelashvili, the “Offensive Connector”
Sandro Mamukelashvili drew some of Redick’s strongest praise. The coach called him an “offensive connector” who can move around the lineup and keep the ball flowing. “He can fit in a number of places,” Redick said. “I’m sure he’ll see minutes versus certain teams at the five. He’ll play some on the wing.” Redick also said Mamukelashvili isn’t a specific position so much as a basketball player.
That versatility puts him in the mix at power forward alongside Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt and Ziaire Williams. Mamukelashvili summed up the mood at Media Day: “Everybody has something to prove. Everybody’s very excited for the season. The guys are hard workers.”
Luka and Kessler Connect Right Away
The first practice also delivered the first on-court evidence of the Luka Doncic and Walker Kessler partnership. Asked how many lobs Doncic threw him, Kessler said, “Today? A couple. Like four probably. Yeah, we have a good connection. It’s pretty easy playing with him.”
Doncic said Kessler’s size opens the floor. “It definitely opens up a lot,” he said. “If somebody steps up a little bit, you just throw it up there, he’s there.” Doncic also confirmed that the Lakers mixed up teams during scrimmages rather than showing a set starting group. “That’s a question for JJ. He’s the one who decides the starting five,” he said. “We had a lot of fun, a lot of teaching points, and I think everybody felt like it was a great first day.”
Kessler was just as fired up about his coach. “In film, I was ready to go fight somebody or something,” he said, smiling. “He’s such a good motivator.” And he offered a bold prediction: “I think we’re gonna be a nasty defense this season.” We covered the defensive blueprint in our Kessler and Redick preview.
Health Check: No Concerns
Every Lakers player took part in practice Tuesday, though Redick said a couple of players did not do the contact portion. He did not name them and said they are expected to participate in contact later this week. “There are no concerns health-wise,” Redick said.
Doncic, who said at Media Day that he is fully recovered from his hamstring injury, has not yet settled his preseason workload. “I gotta talk to JJ,” he said. For the full leadership story from Monday, read how Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are taking charge.
A Young Locker Room
The roster Rob Pelinka built around 27-year-old Doncic and 28-year-old Austin Reaves is almost entirely made up of players in their 20s. Kevon Looney, 30, is now the only player in his 30s, and he smiled at the idea of being the team’s elder statesman. Redick said even players who were not in live action peppered the coaches with questions, a sign of how engaged the group is.
Watch: JJ Redick’s Practice Report
Hear Redick break down the first day of camp in InfanityTV’s practice report:
What to Watch Next
The next checkpoints are simple: whether the players held out of contact join full drills this week, how Redick sorts the power forward and wing minutes, and what Doncic’s preseason schedule looks like. The standard has been set. As Redick put it, you have to earn your minutes. Watch the full practice report above and follow InfanityTV for daily Lakers training camp coverage.
