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By Jayesh Pagar
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The Los Angeles Lakers have gone through a wild summer.
LeBron James is gone, Luka Dončić is the man now, and a whole new supporting cast just walked through the door in El Segundo.
Through it all, head coach JJ Redick has stayed mostly guarded about what this roster can actually become. That changed this week.
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At the team's UCLA Health Training Center presser, Redick sat beside GM Rob Pelinka to preview the Oct. 21 season opener against the Warriors, and dropped a line on the fit of his new-look roster.
"Probably the first time in my three years here that I feel like the pieces actually fit together," Redick said, via Hoop Central.
That is a real statement from a coach who has spent two seasons piecing lineups together on the fly, first around LeBron and Anthony Davis, then around a midseason Dončić trade that reshaped everything overnight.
This summer looked different. The Lakers moved on from James, retained Austin Reaves, and rebuilt the frontcourt around 7-foot-2 center Walker Kessler, acquired from Utah. Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Kevon Looney, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Matisse Thybulle also arrived, giving Redick actual size and depth for the first time.
Dončić, fresh off recovery in Slovenia, is now the unquestioned focal point of the offense heading into training camp, which opens September 29 after Monday's media day.
Redick also got specific about roles this season, saying every player, wings especially, now knows exactly what is expected of them on the floor.
"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," Redick said. "We've already had some of those conversations this week with our players."
Los Angeles finished 53-29 last season before getting swept by Oklahoma City in the conference semifinals. Whether this retooled group finally gets past that ceiling starts unfolding Oct. 21 at Crypto.com Arena.
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