EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Lakers' offense has thrived since Luka Doncic arrived in 2025, but center Walker Kessler needed only one day of training camp to be convinced the team's defense will hold up its end of the bargain this season.
"Listen, I think we're going to be a nasty defensive team," Kessler said Tuesday. "I think people aren't taking into account how good our perimeter defense is going to be. A lot of guys are very smart on the perimeter and positionally can play really good defense. We have guys who are just ball hawks."
During JJ Redick's two seasons as coach, the Lakers have ranked above average in offensive efficiency and below average in defensive efficiency. After a transformative summer that saw the departure of LeBron James and several other veteran players, the Lakers are hoping to establish a more aggressive defensive identity with a rebuilt roster that includes Doncic, guard Austin Reaves, Kessler and a deep group of young wings.
Redick said Tuesday that his first goal during training camp was to "establish our defensive principles." With both forward spots in the starting lineup open for competition, Redick said he met with the team's wings last week to give them their marching orders.
"They understood the assignment today," he said. "That was exciting. They set the tone for us defensively. There was a lot of physicality, a lot of grabbing and holding, and a lot of disruption without gambling."
The 7-foot-2 Kessler, who was traded by the Utah Jazz to the Lakers this summer, will serve as the back-line rim protector after averaging 2.4 blocks per game during his first four seasons.
"The paint is kind of closed when [Kessler] is on the court," Doncic said.
From there, Doncic's remade supporting cast includes defensive specialists Jarred Vanderbilt and Matisse Thybulle as well as free agent additions Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton and Ziaire Williams. Looney, a veteran center who won two championships with the Golden State Warriors, will back up Kessler.
Kessler praised Looney for his "mind and positioning," Vanderbilt for his skill defending all five positions, and Thybulle, Grimes, Sexton and Williams for their ability to apply defensive pressure.
"Having those guys that can steal the ball ... [and] when they do get beat, be able to recover, it makes my job a lot easier," he said. "It's a lot easier to block a shot when a dude has someone on his hip instead of an open lane towards the basket."
The Lakers boasted the NBA's No. 3 defense when they won the 2020 championship and the No. 1 defense during the 2020-21 regular season. But their performance on that end has slipped noticeably in the years that followed.
Los Angeles fired Frank Vogel as coach after ranking 21st in defense during the 2021-22 season, then fired his successor, Darvin Ham, after ranking 17th in defense in 2023-24. The Lakers finished 20th on defense last season, their first full campaign after trading All-Star big man Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Doncic.
Kessler was confident the Lakers can "definitely can be a contender" in a Western Conference that includes title favorites with elite defenses such as the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
"I think we have a lot of great tools and versatility," he said. "The guys are already getting along. Connection makes championship teams."