JJ Redick wants the Los Angeles Lakers to put more size around their backup center, a preference that could shape the wing rotation even after Walker Kessler returns.
Speaking after Saturday’s practice, Redick identified rebounding as a reason to pair two bigger perimeter players in lineups without Kessler. His examples included Luka Doncic, Adou Thiero and Sandro Mamukelashvili.
“I think in film it’s pretty apparent we need to do a better job of boxing out, just simple stuff and gang rebounding. That hurt us the other night,” Redick said. “We’ll figure that out, but I think the biggest thing is trying to keep with same sort of limited playing time and getting guys reps and building them up. But having two bigger wings out there, Luka, Adou, Mamu, whoever that may be, as a wing with non-Walker lineups.”
The comment gives the Lakers a more specific task than waiting for their injured center. They need combinations that can defend a possession through the rebound, with enough help around the basket when their preferred starter is on the bench.
For Thiero and Mamukelashvili, that creates an opportunity tied to lineup fit. For Redick, it makes the backup-center question partly a decision about the other four players on the court.
Why the Lakers need size beyond the center position
In Thursday’s 114-110 win, Sacramento collected 20 offensive rebounds and outrebounded Los Angeles 46-39.
Those numbers help explain why replacing one center with another is only part of the discussion.
A big man who moves toward a driver cannot also occupy every position from which an opponent might pursue a missed shot.
The defenders behind that initial help have to make contact and close the remaining paths to the ball.
Redick’s Saturday assessment also pointed to basic execution. He said the film showed a need for better box-outs and a collective effort on the glass.
That separates two issues the Lakers can address together. Playing more size may improve their chances in a rebounding contest, but positioning determines whether those players actually get to use it.
Adding a forward does little if an opponent still has an unobstructed run into the lane.
The most useful measure will therefore be what happens to the entire group. A wing can help produce a stop without receiving credit for the rebound by keeping an opponent away while a teammate collects the ball.
That is also why individual rebound totals alone cannot settle this rotation question. The Lakers need to identify which combinations consistently finish possessions, not simply which player ends up holding the ball most often.
Adou Thiero has a role to compete for beyond scoring
Thiero’s inclusion in Redick’s examples matters because it identifies a potential way for him to complement the offense rather than compete for its possessions.
Thiero is pursuing a larger role after knee injuries disrupted his rookie season.
In a hypothetical group featuring Doncic, Thiero and a center other than Kessler, the Lakers would have two of the players Redick named without asking Thiero to direct the offense.
His contribution could come from finishing possessions defensively, running the floor and making himself available when the defense turns toward the ball.
That is a possible configuration, not an announced unit. Redick did not guarantee Thiero a starting job or establish how many minutes he would receive.
The distinction matters when evaluating preseason opportunities. A player can become useful in a particular combination without immediately winning a permanent place among the starters.
Conversely, starting an exhibition does not establish where he will sit in a healthy rotation.
For Thiero, the relevant question is whether his presence makes those non-Kessler groups function better.
Can the Lakers keep their offensive spacing while getting enough activity around the rim to end stops? Can he contribute without requiring additional touches to stay involved?
Those are the kinds of responsibilities that can make a young wing valuable next to a ball-dominant creator.
Sandro Mamukelashvili presents two different lineup options
Mamukelashvili complicates the discussion in a useful way because he can be considered both as the center and as one of the bigger players beside a center.
After Thursday’s game, Mamukelashvili described the work involved in adjusting between power forward and center. Assistant coach Lindsey Harding has been helping him understand those assignments.
Mamukelashvili also acknowledged the need to become more physical and improve his rebounding.
“I’m trying to get better. I’m trying to be more physical. I’m trying to not get out-rebounded,” Mamukelashvili said.
Mamukelashvili had already played center and shared the court with Kevon Looney. Those arrangements pose different questions for the rest of the lineup.
If Looney is at center and Mamukelashvili is at forward, Mamukelashvili can help provide the additional size Redick wants outside the five spot.
If Mamukelashvili moves to center, another player has to supply that support beside him.
His passing and shooting give the Lakers a reason to investigate both versions.
A forward who can handle the ball can keep an action moving when the first option is covered, while a center who operates away from the basket can create different spacing.
The challenge is preserving those offensive possibilities without giving back possessions at the other end.
Choosing Mamukelashvili’s position changes who needs to be around him, not just the label attached to his name.
Kessler’s return will not remove the rotation question
The Lakers are still awaiting Kessler’s preseason debut following his finger injury. His availability will give Redick more options, but the minutes when he rests will still require a plan.
Redick has separately explored zone defense with this roster. Coverage and personnel are related decisions: changing where defenders begin a possession does not eliminate the need to find an opponent when a shot goes up.
The next exhibition against Golden State is scheduled for Tuesday in Las Vegas, with Denver following Friday, according to the Lakers’ preseason schedule.
Those games offer a practical test of Redick’s preference. The combinations to watch are the ones around the backup center: which bigger wings share the floor, whether they can secure stops and what offensive options remain available.
Saturday’s comments did not settle the rotation. They did identify one of the requirements that could help determine it.
