EL SEGUNDO — Austin Reaves didn’t mince words when speaking about the Matisse Thybulle-led troop of Lakers wings who are mucking up his flow on offense during practice.
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“They all annoy the hell out of me,” Reaves said Wednesday. “… Matisse’s anticipation is top tier.”
So, when it was Thybulle’s turn to speak with the media on Saturday afternoon as training camp continued at the Lakers’ training facility, he was posed an opposing question. Playing against Luka Doncic, the league’s leading scorer last season (33.5 points per game), and Reaves is no easy task, the 29-year-old veteran wing said.
“You have to work sooooo hard,” Thybulle said, rolling his head backward with a laugh. “They’re so talented. … I think for me it’s great because getting to play against two of the best offensive players in the NBA every day just primes you for – I think it primes all of us, but me specifically – just primes you for what to expect.”
Growing up, Thybulle said, it was emphasized that practice should be harder than the games. In the NBA, that reality is less possible due to the day-to-day grind of an 82-game regular season.
Doncic and Reaves are putting that theory to the test in practice.
“Guarding Luka and AR, practice is definitely going to be harder than the games,” said Thybulle, who signed a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract with the Lakers in July.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said there’s a clear aspect to Thybulle – who has averaged 1.6 steals per game during his seven-season NBA career – going up against Doncic and Reaves, and vice versa: Healthy competition will help improve players.
Reaves and Doncic will get better from a player like wing Ziaire Williams picking them up full court on every possession, while Thybulle, Williams and second-year wing Adou Thiero will improve from nonstop competition with their offensive-focused peers.
“Those guys get better from practicing that way,” Redick said. “It goes both ways.”
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Third-year guard Bronny James is feeling that developmental impact.
On Thursday, playing in a five-on-five scrimmage against Doncic and Reaves, James was working on his defensive instinct and picking up ball-handlers in full court.
The 21-year-old – who is now the third-longest tenured Lakers player alongside guard Dalton Knecht, who was also a part of the team’s 2023 NBA Draft class – said the insistence on defensive ball pressure is a directive for him from the coaching staff.
“It’s going to make me better on the defensive end just picking them up full court,” James said. “I’m annoyed by them, they get annoyed with me in practice. …”
“Just continuing to do that will make me better for sure.”
AT THE BUZZER
For the first time in training camp, Redick addressed how the Lakers’ three two-way contract players – forward AK Okereke, wing Arthur Kaluma and guard Chris Manon – are fitting into the mix.
“I kind of look at AK and AK (Okereke and Kaluma) in a similar role and structure of being like 3-and-D guys,” Redick said. “I think both guys can really shoot it, and both guys have the traditional size that you want from a 3-and-D at the wing.”
When it comes to Manon, Redick said the second-year guard – who ended the season as one of the Lakers’ two-way contract players – is more of a hybrid player than a wing.
“He can guard the ball and he can scale up and guard wings as well,” Redick said, noting that Manon has gotten some exposure during live play scrimmages in the past two days of practices.
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