The Lakers are one practice away from playing a real game. After Saturday’s session in El Segundo, the Lakers practice report was less about the regulars and more about depth. JJ Redick singled out two-way guard Chris Mañon, Bronny James talked about growing into a point guard who speaks up, and Matisse Thybulle said he does not care whether he starts. The team practices again Sunday before Monday’s 7 p.m. PT preseason opener at Sacramento. Redick is still not saying who will play.
This is everything new from Saturday, the news that came after our preseason opener preview.
Lakers Practice Report: Two-Way Depth Gets Noticed
The most detailed praise Saturday went to the three players on two-way contracts: Mañon, Arthur Kaluma and AK Okereke.
“Particularly the first two days, I thought both [Kaluma and Okereke] were a really physical part of that wing group,” Redick said. “Chris on Thursday and Chris again today in live play, he’s gotten some exposure with the purple team because we wanted to have scoring balance on both sides. He’s been fantastic the last two days in live play and scrimmages.”
Redick sees Kaluma and Okereke as 3-and-D wings in his system, and Mañon as a guard-wing hybrid. He then explained why having three similar players is a good thing.
“There’s a little bit of redundancy with our two-ways this year, which we view as a really good thing,” he said, “because if we can develop Adou [Thiero] and develop Cam [Carr] and develop these guys into functional rotation NBA players over the next 12 to 24 months, it changes our ceiling.”
That quote also says something about how the Lakers see Thiero and Carr. Redick is treating them as long-term development projects, not finished rotation pieces.
Twice as Many Practices as Last Year
Redick also explained why this preseason feels different. The Lakers play five preseason games this year, one fewer than last season, and he likes what that does to the calendar.
“I want to say we had six real practices in preseason last year. This year we’ll have at least 12,” Redick said. “Generally, we could get a more productive preseason and training camp. We can actually space things out a little bit more, get these guys more live play, really take our time with teaching.”
That ties into the theme of camp. Redick has been building a new defense and new offensive structure since Day 1, and more practice time means fewer shortcuts.
Bronny James: “AR Keeps Calling Me a Vet”
Bronny James is entering only his third season, but he is tied with Dalton Knecht for the third-longest tenure on the team, behind Austin Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt. He laughed when a reporter pointed that out.
“Crazy, right? AR keeps calling me a vet,” James said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “I’m like, ‘I guess.'”
He has a clearer idea of his job now. With his father, LeBron James, no longer on the team, Bronny said he is working on being the vocal organizer a backup point guard has to be. “You’ve got to be talking to your guys, got to be helping people get to where they need to be,” he said. “If anyone goes out, God forbid anyone goes out, I’ve got to be the guy to step up and be the primary ballhandler, and get my guys in the right spots.”
His defensive identity is also clear. He said he has been one of the players picking up full court on every possession, and he joked about the daily matchups with Luka Doncic and Reaves. “I’m annoyed by them, they get annoyed with me in practice,” he said. He added that he still weighs about 215 to 220 pounds but looks slimmer after working on his diet and running more.
For context, James played 42 regular-season games last season, averaging 2.9 points on 40.9 percent shooting, and appeared in eight playoff games. He said the roles for the new players will take a few preseason games to sort out.
Thybulle: Starting or Bench, “I Leave Those Decisions Up to the Coaches”
Thybulle has drawn some of the loudest praise in camp. He is a two-time All-Defensive Team pick, in 2021 and 2022, and a candidate for one of the open starting spots. He said he has no preference.
“I leave those decisions up to the coaches,” Thybulle said. “For me, if my teammates are happy with how I’m playing, if the coaches are happy with how I’m playing, that’s a good sign to me that I’m doing a good job. But if that means I’m coming off the bench, if that means I’m starting, I trust that the coaches know how to use me best.”
He also said guarding Doncic and Reaves every day is a lesson in patience. “The best offensive players in the league, Luka being probably one of the best, changes pace so well,” he told the California Post. Thybulle said he is learning when to jump a passing lane and when to stay solid and make it “more of a cat-and-mouse game.” He added a line every coach would like: “Guarding Luka and AR, practice is definitely going to be harder than the games.”
Redick likes the friction. “It’s going to be a healthy competition and it gets you better,” he said. “It’s going to make Austin better when Ziaire is picking them up full court every possession and Matisse is in the passing lane trying to blow things up.”
Kessler Works on the Jumper
Late in Saturday’s practice, reporters saw Walker Kessler work on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers and pick-and-pop reps. Spacing has been one of his stated offseason goals. He took 0.3 threes per game in his first three seasons, then 1.6 per game in the five games he played last season before a shoulder injury ended his year. A stretch option at center would add a new look next to Doncic. The defensive side of his fit is covered in our Kessler Media Day story.
Availability and Knecht: Still No Answers
Redick still has not said who will be available Monday. On Saturday he said the staff was “still working stuff.” No roster moves were announced, so the Lakers remain at 16 guaranteed contracts. Dalton Knecht is still on the roster and practicing, and there has been no update on the trade-or-waive question we covered in our Day 3 report.
Watch: JJ Redick’s Saturday Practice Report
Hear Redick on the two-way players, the practice schedule and the opener in InfanityTV’s practice report:
What to Watch Monday in Sacramento
- Two-way minutes: whether Mañon, Kaluma and Okereke get real second-half run after Redick’s praise.
- Bronny at the point: how often he runs the second unit and picks up full court.
- Thybulle’s role: starter or first wing off the bench.
- Kessler’s range: whether he attempts a three in his first game action.
The Lakers play at Sacramento on Monday at 7 p.m. PT and at Golden State on Tuesday, with both games on Spectrum SportsNet. Follow InfanityTV for Sunday’s practice update and full coverage of the Lakers’ first preseason game.
