Los Angeles Lakers · 6 notes
Austin Reaves tweaked his ankle in training camp, delaying his first game next to Kevon Looney, the Lakers' media availability heard. Looney's role: screens that give Luka Doncic "easy looks where he don't gotta create for himself as much."
Walker Kessler expects Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to be double-teamed a lot off screens, so the Lakers center says he must improve at making plays when he catches the ball behind it: "just playing out of that pocket, it's going to be a big, big part of my expansion."
Ajay Mitchell's defense is a main reason for his minutes, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said at practice, pointing to Mitchell taking playoff matchups against Austin Reaves and Devin Booker: "It just gives us more lineup flexibility."
Sandro Mamukelashvili has played a lot of center for the Lakers in preseason: "Wherever you put me, I'll try to do my best." Next to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, his job is spacing the floor, hitting 3s and pushing the ball, "'cause a lot of times Luka and Austin are denied."
Austin Reaves was set for his first Lakers game alongside Luka Doncic this year on Oct. 8: "he's ready to go," JJ Redick said. Ziaire Williams sat again with soreness, "not anything that we're concerned about." Adou Thiero was available but knows he has to defend to play.
Ajay Mitchell, who ended last season injured, "got himself healthy" over the summer and "his body looks great," Mark Daigneault said at Thunder practice. He cited Mitchell's work on Austin Reaves as proof "he's to the point now where he's taken on primary matchups for us."