Austin Reaves Makes Bold Claim About Lakers’ Defense After Tough Battle With New Teammates

Austin Reaves got an early preview of what the new-look Los Angeles Lakers could bring defensively, and it was apparently not a pleasant experience. The Lakers have undergone a major roster overhaul entering the 2026-27 season, with Luka Doncic, Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, Bronny James, Dalton Knecht and several other holdovers joined by a long list of new faces. The biggest changes, however, have come on the defensive end.

Los Angeles finished 2025-26 with a 116.4 defensive rating, 19th in the NBA, despite winning 53 games. That made defense one of the clearest areas for the front office to address this offseason. The Lakers responded by adding defensive-minded pieces such as Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, Adou Thiero and Quentin Grimes, while also bringing in Walker Kessler to provide rim protection.

Reaves has now experienced that personnel change from the worst possible perspective for an offensive player: he had to try to score against it.

"They all annoy the hell out of me. Like I talked about, Matisse (Thybulle) and Ziaire (Williams), yesterday were on the same team and it was not my team, which wasn't fun," Reaves told Lakers insider Daniel Starkand. "But it's good to just get those reps in early. I think they're two of the best defenders in the league. They can guard multiple positions; they're length, Matisse's anticipation is top tier. I'm excited to have them on our team and see what they can do."

"Adou (Thiero) has been guarding me all summer when we've been playing pickup and stuff," Reaves continued. "He's a freak of nature, moves as well as anybody. One of the best athletes in the league. Once he starts thinking about the game more, as we've talked about a lot this summer, he's asked a lot of questions. So he's very interested in learning, and that's what he needs."

That combination is important because the Lakers are not simply adding individual defenders. They are building layers around Doncic and Reaves. Thybulle and Williams give Los Angeles length and positional versatility on the perimeter, while Thiero brings the athleticism to stay in front of bigger assignments. Kessler then gives the group a legitimate defensive anchor behind them.

It'll be interesting to see what the Lakers would look like now that they have several defensive-oriented pieces on their squad.

Austin Reaves Sets Lakers Expectations For Upcoming Season

There is a reason that confidence matters. Reaves spent last season as one of Los Angeles’ primary offensive engines, and the Lakers now need him and Doncic to carry much of that burden again. Surrounding them with players capable of taking difficult defensive assignments could allow the two stars to be more selective with their energy without sacrificing the team’s overall defensive intensity.

The question now is whether that potential will translate from pickup games and training-camp practices to an 82-game season. The Lakers have the personnel to defend with more size, length and athleticism than they did a year ago, but the pieces still have to function as one unit.

With an entirely new group around them, many are curious to know how different the Lakers' style of play would be. During the Lakers' media day on Monday, Reaves set everyone's expectations for what the new rotation would look like.

"I think just being able to be versatile in what we're going to do every single possession," Reaves said. "We're going to be able to do different things this year than what we were not capable of doing last year. We're going to be able to play more free-flowing basketball. It's not going to have to be pick-and-roll every single possession. We're going to implement good offense."

While the changes do sound reassuring, we have yet to see whether the Lakers' new style will work wonders for them in the long run. Fans should expect many adjustments throughout the season as the new team will try to solidify its chemistry.