JJ Redick Sets the Tone at Lakers Training Camp; Remains Cautious with Player Health Ahead of Preseason
With three days of training camp under their belt, it seems the Lakers players have embraced JJ Redick’s message to the team about getting into championship shape.
Training camp has begun for L.A., and the overall vibe from the group so far has showcased their collective mindset and willingness to get better every day.
Lakers guard Gabe Vincent talked to the media during camp and joked a bit about how the team may hate Redick and his conditioning drills, but added that they all embrace the workload because of the team’s set goals:
“I told JJ about a week or two ago, I said, ‘If we all hate you but we all hate you collectively, that’s great.’ So as long as we’re together in it, obviously no one wants to run at the end of a long practice, but we know the goal we have set for ourselves, and we know what we’re trying to do moving forward. And we all embraced it. We all got the run in, and we all got better for it”.
L.A.’s Medical Staff Cautious with Several Players
The Lakers have had a few limited participants in camp so far due to some lingering health issues. Big man Maxi Kleber suffered a quad injury after Tuesday’s practice, though it does not appear to be serious enough to hold him out for a lengthy period.
Rookie Adou Thiero has still not been cleared to participate in practice, as he still has about a week left of recovery from his leg injury that kept him from playing in the summer league. He could see the floor as soon as next week.
Along with Thiero, Marcus Smart and LeBron James did not practice and will join Maxi Kleber in missing Friday’s preseason game. Smart is dealing with Achilles tendinopathy, and James deals with glute nerve irritation. Neither diagnosis has sparked concern, and their absence is simply precautionary.
While Luka Doncic was a full participant in training camp, the team announced that he will not play in either Friday’s or Sunday’s preseason matchups to rest. Coach Redick mentioned to the media that he wants to be “sensitive” in how much he plays Doncic and Austin Reaves during preseason. He added that Reaves had the “highest workload in camp”.
Although the Lakers will be missing some key pieces for the start of the preseason, it will allow the role players to showcase their skill sets in Friday’s exhibition matchup.
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Categorized:Lakers