Media Day instilled a bit of confidence in Los Angeles Lakers fans ahead of the season, establishing a few positive developments from the players’ perspectives. Most notably, the Lakeshow has moved on from forward LeBron James and officially handed the keys to the franchise to guard Luka Dončić.
That being said, fans can breathe a sigh of relief that Dončić is fully healthy entering the season. Dončić has fully recovered from the hamstring injury that caused him to miss last season’s playoffs and he is prepared to lead the Lakers through the 2026/27 campaign.
“Right now, I’m feeling great. I feel rested. Mentally, I feel great, so I can’t wait just to start,” said Dončić at Media Day. He was one of several players to express confidence and excitement in this roster.
The Lakers’ new center, Walker Kessler, seemed to think the chemistry is already there, mentioning how he caught a no-look lob from Luka in his first scrimmage with the team. This is a positive since the center position has been a point of contention for the team since the loss of forward/center Anthony Davis. Kessler also believes that him being a lob threat “will be a big part of the offense.”
The offense was a major throughline between all the interviews with the players. According to guard Austin Reaves the Lakers will “do different things [they] weren’t capable of doing last year.” He defined this offense as more “free flowing” and that it won’t “have to be a pick and roll every single possession.”
However, offense was not the only focal point. Guard Quentin Grimes spoke on the Lakers and their defensive mindset going into the season.
“We’re trying to set that tone of being one of the toughest and hardest playing teams defensively,” Grimes said. While this doesn’t mean the Lakers defensive woes will disappear, the team emphasizing strong, gritty defense breeds optimism that they will be much improved on that end compared to previous seasons.
Another focal point is the case of ex-Trojan guard Bronny James. This will be the first time in his professional career without his father being on the same team as him, and James expressed eagerness for this new chapter.
“It’s something different for sure,” said James. “I’m excited for the experience. Experience something different with him not being here and to see how the staff treats me without him being here and all my teammates and stuff like that so excited for it and excited for the season.”
If the talking points of Media Day are a sign of what’s to come this season, Lakers fans should be ecstatic about this season. While the eldest James’ presence and impact will be missed, the team has moved on, meaning this rendition of LA could be something to behold . Now, they’ll have their first chance to back up their words on the court on October 21 when they host the Golden State Warriors at 7:00 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena.