JJ Redick Says Lakers Roster Finally ‘Fits Together'

JJ Redick believes the Los Angeles Lakers finally have a roster where the pieces truly fit together after a huge roster overhaul.

The Lakers underwent a major overhaul this offseason, building around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves following the departure of LeBron James and several other key players.

Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams and Sandro Mamukelashvili were among the additions, while Reaves returned on a new four-year deal.

After watching the new group come together, Redick believes the roster construction gives him something he hasn’t had during his time as Lakers head coach.

“I think we’ve always tried to give our players clearly defined roles, and I think with this group, probably the first time in my three years here that I feel like the pieces actually fit together, and so those roles probably get even more crystallized,” Redick said during his annual preseason press conference.

“I’ll give you the wings, like there’s a very clear ask for you to be able to play, and if you don’t do those things, then you’re not going to play. That’s just the reality. We’ve already had some of those conversations this week with our players. We have high, high confidence in these guys that they’re going to buy into that. So it’s going to naturally create a lot of healthy competition, and everybody at some point inevitably will get a chance to impact our team and impact winning.”

Kessler’s arrival is another major reason for Redick’s confidence, giving Los Angeles a legitimate rim protector behind its revamped perimeter group.

“I think first of all it starts with having that center in Walker,” Redick said. “It’s why we valued him the way we valued him.”

Redick isn’t pretending the Lakers completed their entire transformation in one summer, but he likes the direction they have taken around Doncic.

“To me, this has not been — and it never will be — a full rebuild around Luka in one offseason. That’s not the way the NBA works, and particularly with free agency the way it is now,” Redick said. “But I like everything we did this summer to build around him, to build around A.R., and to provide us with a ton of depth.”