The Los Angeles Lakers opened training camp with an unmistakable message from head coach JJ Redick: conditioning will define this team.
Three practices in, that message has been delivered through long, timed sprints at the end of workouts — six lengths of the court in 34 seconds, 10 in a minute, then six more in 34. Redick even laced up for the final run, joking afterward that he was “good” with stopping there.
The drill wasn’t about punishment as much as it was about setting a standard. Redick, now in his second season, has framed the year around the idea of reaching “championship shape.”
For Redick, the evaluation goes beyond numbers on a clock or body-fat percentages.
“Are we sprinting back defensively? Are we playing with pace offensively? And are we being disciplined?” Redick explained. “If those things are being done at a really high level, we’re in shape.”
The Lakers, like most teams, monitor biomechanics and player workloads throughout camp. But Redick stressed that sustained effort matters more than passing a test on a single day.
“What we’re looking for is a daily commitment to it,” he said.
Luka Dončić Responds to the Demands
No one embodies that commitment more than Luka Dončić. After arriving in Los Angeles midway through last season, he now begins his first full campaign with the team in peak condition following a summer with Slovenia at EuroBasket.
“It’s not just physical shape, it’s mental shape, too,” Dončić said. “Both are very important. Everybody’s in great shape. Everybody’s running a lot, so it’s been great so far.”
Asked to describe camp in three words, Dončić didn’t hesitate: “Fun, excitement, hard.”
Beyond fitness, he sees training camp as a chance to strengthen bonds with teammates. Off the court, that has meant dinners and a trip to Las Vegas after signing his extension. On the court, it means building timing with new running mate Deandre Ayton in the pick-and-roll.
“I like to play pick and roll. I know how to play it,” Dončić said. “Getting the lob, getting him behind the defense — I feel like I’m very important to him. He’s one of the most important pieces in this situation.”
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A Reworked Rotation
The Lakers will rely on Dončić and LeBron James as their engines, but the roster around them has been reshaped. Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura project as part of the starting group, with Ayton anchoring the middle.
Marcus Smart, acquired in the offseason, is expected to give Los Angeles another defensive leader once healthy. Other depth options include any of Jake LaRavia, Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jaxson Hayes, Bronny James, and Dalton Knecht.
Departures included Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, but there seems to be a belief in Ayton’s presence inside and Dončić’s full offseason of integration more than offset those losses.
James’ status to play in the opener is unclear with a pinched nerve but is expected to ramp up soon. Smart, Maxi Kleber, and Adou Thiero are also being handled cautiously as they recover from minor issues.
Redick emphasized that preseason minutes will be limited, particularly for Dončić and Reaves after their busy summers.
“We’re going to try to play these guys in shorter bursts so that they can really focus on pace and sprinting back,” he said.
Expectations and Competition
The Lakers finished 50-32 last season before falling in the first round to Minnesota, a result that underscored the gap between expectations and results. This season, the bar is higher. With James late in his career, time is running out to win a championship, and achieving this feat is the goal.
The challenge is steep. Oklahoma City, Houston, and the Clippers all made significant additions, leaving no margin for error in a crowded conference.
Still, the Lakers see opportunity in their new structure: Dončić as the offensive centerpiece, LeBron as a steadying force in his 23rd season, Ayton shoring up the paint, and Redick demanding accountability from top to bottom.
“We’re trying to get from a point A to a very far distant point B and this is going to take time,” Redick said. “But the daily commitment is what’s important.”
