Lakers star guard Austin Reaves gave the team’s group of wings one of the best compliments they can hear.
“They all annoy the hell out of me,” Reaves said after the first few days of training camp.
With Reaves referring to the rigor of defense he’s had to go up against during each of the Lakers’ practices, the praise couldn’t have been any higher.
Adou Thiero’s combination of size and athleticism, with Reaves saying the second-year forward is already “one of the best athletes in the league”.
Matisse Thybulle’s anticipation and active hands, having been one of the NBA’s most disruptive defenders since entering the league in 2019.
And that’s before addressing Jarred Vanderbilt and Quentin Grimes, the latter of whom the Lakers are expecting to get back to embracing the defensive side of the ball after standing out on that end early in his career with the Knicks.
Or Jake LaRavia, who’s improved significantly on that end of the floor since entering the NBA in 2022.
These are the types of defensive challenges the Lakers stars have been going up against on a daily basis.
“It’s going to be a healthy competition and it gets you better,” coach JJ Redick said Saturday. “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. Adou, with his physicality…those guys are getting better from practicing that way.”
But the challenge, and benefits, go both ways.
Just like the Lakers wings are helping make the team’s stars better, Doncic and Reaves are also making the Lakers’ best perimeter defenders even better.
Ironing sharpening iron.
“I mean, you have to work so hard – they’re so talented,” Thybulle said Saturday. “For me it’s great because getting to play against two of the best offensive players in the NBA every day just primes you for – it primes all of us, but me specifically – just primes you for what to expect.
“It was a big thing when you’re growing up that practice should be harder than the games. And I think in the NBA it’s a little different because you just have to pace yourself for such a long season, but guarding Luka and AR, practice is definitely going to be harder than the games.”
As a two-time All-Defensive team honoree in 2021 and ‘22, Thybulle has been one of the most impactful perimeter defenders for a while now.
But he’s still learning.
And going against Doncic and Reaves have helped provide lessons.
“The importance of just being solid,” Thybulle responded when asked what he’s learned defensively during his career. “The best offensive players in the league, Luka being probably one of the best, changes pace so well. As I’m growing in this league, growing as a defender, learning when to change pace and go for steals vs. [sitting] back, [being] solid and [making] it more of a cat-and-mouse game as opposed to trying to be in every passing lane every single time.”
With the Lakers set to travel up north for preseason exhibitions against the Kings (Monday) and Warriors (Tuesday), players will soon be able to showcase how much it’s helped against each other over the last week.
And with the Lakers hoping to have a significant defensive improvement from last season, Doncic and Reaves have been helping the team with the challenges they’ve brought offensively.
“It’s going to make me better on the defensive end just picking them up full court,” Bronny James said. “I’m annoyed by them, they get annoyed with me in practice. Just continuing to do that will make me better for sure.”
