Roster construction isn’t just about getting the best available player on the trade market and in NBA free agency. Teams need to focus on what they lack and how new additions can fill specific production gaps. Thankfully, the Los Angeles Lakers know this. Coach JJ Redick knows how their team operates when Luka Doncic leads the charge. There is a lot of talk of heliocentrism, but that seems fine. That is why they added guys like Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, and Sandro Mamukelashvili, among others, to contend for a title.
Redick gushes about how Lakers got new additions to supplement Doncic
The Lakers already had many weaknesses even when LeBron James was still with the organization. Rebounding was one of the weakest points of their previous roster. Coach JJ Redick had only a 23.9 ORB% that ranked 22nd in the NBA, and their defense also struggled to clean the glass, as evidenced by their 74% DRB%.
Another area the Lakers needed to improve was their shot contests. Opponents were only held to a 55.5% field goal percentage, which is 23rd in the league. Lastly, Coach Redick also needed new ball handlers on offense to help Luka Doncic. Their 13.2 TOV% was a glaring problem, and it even got worse as the season went by.
This is why Coach Redick urged the Lakers front office to make big changes. After the offseason and training camps, it seems like the head coach is very confident in his roster. He even gushed about how everyone fits so well with Doncic, Austin Reaves, and one another, via Sam Amick of The Athletic.
“When I said the pieces fit, that’s more about having depth, having multiple ballhandlers besides Luka and AR (in newcomers Colin Sexton and Quentin Grimes), having more shooting, more volume shooting, having an elite rim protector — the combination of all those pieces. And it’s having great wing defenders,” the Lakers head coach declared.
The Lakers brought in each of these new additions for very specific reasons. Kessler and Sandro Mamukelashvili are going to fix the rebounding woes that the Lakers have. Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle, and Ziaire Williams are all capable point-of-attack defenders who can contest shots well. Grimes, along with Sexton and Jaden Hardy, can also serve as ball handlers when Coach Redick needs a secondary playmaker besides Doncic.
Chef Curry tonight: 16 PTS & 5 AST… in 14 MIN 🧑🍳 @warriors defeat the Lakers at home! https://t.co/HlsVHpEWiV
— NBA (@NBA) October 7, 2026
If there’s one thing that Coach Redick loves the most about this revamped Lakers squad, it’s their defense.
“I really believe in our wing group. I believe in their defense. I believe in their ability to make open 3s. You don’t become a championship team (in late September). You have to become one throughout the season,” Coach Redick added.
So far, the Lakers roster looks like it’s meshing well. They won their first NBA Preseason game against the Sacramento Kings, 127-103. The squad then couldn’t follow it up, losing 124-98 to the Golden State Warriors. There is still a lot to be said for this Lakers roster
Regardless, Coach Redick has every right to gush about this roster heading into their 82-game regular-season campaign. Doncic and Kessler, along with the remainder of the roster, have all it takes to tie the Boston Celtics for the all-time titles record by the end of the 2026-27 NBA season.
