After closing out the third day of training camp with a demanding series of full-court sprints, Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick acknowledged that his focus on conditioning might not be winning him many fans in the locker room just yet.
“I don’t know if they like me right now,” Redick admitted with a smile.
Redick, now in his second year leading the team, ended his first season on the sidelines by urging the Lakers to get into “championship shape” during the offseason. The intense conditioning drills at training camp are reinforcing that message.
While Redick insists the mandate isn’t aimed at any one player, it clearly struck a chord with 26-year-old superstar Luka Doncic, who transformed his physique over the summer through rigorous workouts and strict dietary discipline.
“It’s not just about physical shape, but mental shape too,” Doncic said. “Both are important. We’re seeing it in practice—everyone’s in great shape and running a lot. It’s been great so far.”
Thursday’s final practice before the preseason opener against the Phoenix Suns featured grueling conditioning tests: players ran six court lengths in 34 seconds, rested briefly, then 10 lengths in 60 seconds, followed by another short break, and finished with six more lengths in 34 seconds. Redick himself joined in on the last set.
“I just ran the last six,” he said, still catching his breath. “I’m good for today.”
Following a 50-win season that secured the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference but ended with a disappointing first-round playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Redick is emphasizing internal improvements beyond roster changes.
He outlined three key ways to gauge if the team is truly “in shape”: sprinting back on defense, playing with pace offensively—including crashing the boards and then recovering on defense—and maintaining physicality throughout the game. If the team excels in these areas, he says, they’re in shape.
Guard Gabe Vincent welcomed Redick’s tough approach, even if it means some short-term frustration.
“I told JJ a couple weeks ago, ‘If we all hate you, but hate you collectively, that’s great,’” Vincent said. “No one wants to run at the end of a long practice, but we understand the goals and what we’re trying to accomplish. We’ve all embraced it and gotten better for it.”
Not every player participated Thursday, as LeBron James (nerve irritation), Marcus Smart (Achilles tendinopathy), and rookie Adou Thiero (knee swelling) were held out and won’t suit up against the Suns. Maxi Kleber is also sidelined for a few days with a quad injury sustained on the first day of camp.
Redick plans to limit players’ minutes during the preseason opener to avoid long stretches on the floor, particularly monitoring workloads for Doncic—who played EuroBasket this summer—and Austin Reaves, who has been pushing hard in camp.
