Lakers Set To Open Training Camp: Five Storylines To Follow - Beritaja

After shocking the NBA by trading for Luka Doncic, Lakers wide head and president of hoops operations Rob Pelinka compared piecing together a roster midseason to “trying to build an airplane successful the sky.”

This year, the Lakers get their afloat runway.

Retooled and locked successful from what Pelinka called an “intentional and productive offseason,” the Lakers officially statesman training campy Tuesday successful El Segundo arsenic Doncic starts his first afloat play successful L.A.

With the squad group for media time Monday, present are 5 questions entering the preseason:

Lakers prima LeBron James stands connected the tribunal earlier facing the Minnesota Timberwolves successful the playoffs connected April 27.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Luka era has arrived. But does that mean the LeBron era has to end?

For the first clip successful his storied career, James is playing successful the last twelvemonth of a contract. He exercised a $52.6-million subordinate action successful June to pave the measurement for a record-setting 23rd NBA season.

James, the NBA’s all-time starring scorer, is 50 games distant from Hall of Famer Robert Parish’s grounds for about regular-season games played. He already achieved his antecedently stated extremity of playing pinch his son Bronny.

More championships are each James has near to pursuit successful his career. While the Lakers effort to motorboat the 26-year-old Doncic’s reign, James’ title aspirations still stay astatine the forefront for the franchise.

“We’ve been very intentional this summertime successful position of the pieces we adhd pinch Luka and LeBron, erstwhile LeBron opted in,” Pelinka said past Thursday astatine a news convention alongside caput coach JJ Redick, “making judge that they had the basal pieces about them to beryllium connected a really competitive, beardown team.”

But erstwhile it comes to James’ future, Pelinka near it up to the 21-time All-Star, saying James has “absolute respect to take his story” regarding really overmuch longer he wants to play. But the team’s wide head knows really he wants the communicative to end.

“We would emotion if LeBron’s communicative would beryllium [that] he retired a Laker,” Pelinka said. “That would beryllium a affirmative story.”

Lakers stars LeBron James, left, and Luka Doncic talk during a crippled against Utah connected Feb. 10.

(Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)

The Lakers underwent a important makeover aft Doncic debuted successful February.

The squad classed eighth successful the NBA pinch 40.4 three-point attempts per crippled successful the regular play pinch Doncic compared to 33.8 before, which classed 27th. James’ violative standing ticked up from 111.8 to 114.4.

After rushing to create cohesion astatine midseason, Doncic, whose Lakers debut was slowed by a lingering calf injury, said successful August he looked guardant to getting a full preseason to build chemistry pinch his teammates. Doncic was 2nd successful the convention successful usage complaint among players who appeared successful much than 7 games aft Feb. 10. Redick said Doncic and defender Austin Reaves, coming disconnected a profession season, will beryllium the team’s superior ballhandlers while James remains a focal constituent of the offense.

“I deliberation the connection I would usage would beryllium ‘share,’” Redick said of really he envisions the 3 stars moving together. “I deliberation successful a squad sport, you person nary prime but to share: stock the basketball, stock the spotlight, I deliberation each those 3 guys person a ton of respect for each other’s accomplishment sets, for each other’s abilities.”

Austin Reaves, right, celebrates pinch teammate Dorian Finney-Smith during a playoff crippled against the Minnesota Timberwolves connected April 27.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Austin Reaves averaged 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game, each profession highs, while shooting 37.7% from three-point range. But his playoff struggles near a sour belief entering the offseason. Reaves changeable 31.9% from 3 successful the first-round bid against Minnesota, attempted conscionable 1.4 free throws per crippled and was a changeless target for the Minnesota offense.

The 27-year-old has a subordinate action worthy $14.9 cardinal adjacent twelvemonth but will apt trial free agency aft vastly outperforming his first four-year, $53.8-million statement awarded erstwhile he was an undrafted free agent. With unit to execute arsenic a 3rd prima down Doncic and James, Reaves is already impressing Lakers unit this offseason.

“Every time successful the gym, he’s been the champion subordinate successful the gym,” Redick said. “This goes backmost to past May, each summer, his assemblage is really bully correct now. He’s really strong. His burst, his athleticism, it’s evident that he’s spent a batch of clip moving connected his assemblage this summer.”

Portland Trail Blazers halfway Deandre Ayton, left, tries to thrust past Denver Nuggets halfway Nikola Jokic during a crippled connected Feb. 10.

(David Zalubowski / Associated Press)

Deandre Ayton‘s 7-foot framework isn’t the only logic why he mightiness beryllium the Lakers’ biggest offseason acquisition.

Pairing Doncic pinch a lob-catching halfway was 1 of Pelinka’s awesome offseason objectives aft the deficiency of a reliable large man became truthful pressing that Redick resorted to playing the aforesaid small-ball, five-man lineup for the full 2nd half successful Game 4 against Minnesota. Ayton is coming disconnected 2 forgettable seasons successful Portland, wherever the erstwhile No. 1 wide prime averaged 15.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Since he was traded by the Phoenix Suns, Ayton has been the target of disapproval for inconsistent effort and a debased motor.

Yet the Lakers judge they could unlock the 27-year-old’s talent. Ayton, Redick emphasized, was erstwhile Chris Paul’s pick-and-roll partner successful Phoenix. No 1 is much detail-oriented than the now-Clippers guard. So playing alongside Doncic should travel easily.

“His consciousness for two-man action is conscionable ace high,” Redick said of Ayton, “and really excited to spot him play pinch Luka.”

Center Jaxson Hayes, who fell retired of the rotation during the playoffs, figures to travel disconnected the chair aft re-signing pinch the squad connected a one-year deal. After recovering from ft surgery, guardant Maxi Kleber played only 5 minutes successful a hopeless postseason nonaccomplishment aft joining the Lakers successful the blockbuster waste and acquisition pinch Doncic, but could adhd a valuable floor-spacing magnitude if healthy.

Marcus Smart controls the shot during a crippled betwixt the Washington Wizards and Milwaukee Bucks successful February.

(Patrick Smith / Getty Images)

Redick knows personally what Marcus Smart could deliver. The coach recalled the forehead afloat of stitches he erstwhile received courtesy of the erstwhile NBA protect subordinate of the year.

“Toughness,” Redick said of what Smart will bring to the team. “I already told him this: We request his sound arsenic portion of communication. His competitory spirit.”

The Lakers classed 17th successful protect standing past season, giving up 113.8 points per 100 possessions. The 31-year-old Smart, who signed pinch the Lakers aft the Washington Wizards bought retired his contract, still grades successful the 80th percentile of each protect metric, Redick said.

Doncic’s protect betterment astatine EuroBasket drew raves from Redick, but the prima defender will stay acold from a protect anchor. With Reaves and James, who will move 41 successful December, and Ayton, Smart’s protect prowess and profession 32.4% three-point shooting could beryllium captious to solidifying the imaginable starting lineup.

Redick named his starting lineup earlier training campy past play but, successful a measurement of maturation for the second-year caput coach, declined to disclose his plans this year. He learned what often happens to the best-laid plans.

Last year’s intended starring group of James, Reaves, Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell started only 7 games together.