EL SEGUNDO — Austin Reaves strutted up to his practice-day press conference with big men Jaxson Hayes and Deandre Ayton flanked on either side of him.
“We ain’t a rap group,” Ayton said, referring to the trio who spoke to the media concurrently Sunday. “We’re a dance group.”
Reaves donned the practice jersey of Ayton. Ayton returned the favor by wearing Reaves’ stripes. Hayes carried the name and number of Dalton Knecht on his chest, a last-minute switch from originally swapping his jersey with Jarred Vanderbilt. Every player switched jerseys with a teammate on Sunday morning – the team’s first practice availability in more than two weeks – as the Lakers (48-26) prepped, fine-tuned adjustments for the final eight-game stretch before the playoffs.
Reaves, Hayes and Ayton fired off light-hearted and focused responses to a handful of questions across four-1/2 minutes. Ayton and Hayes denied being able to dunk on each other in practice, before the latter claimed that Reaves has dunked on both Lakers centers.
“(Austin’s) dunked on both of us; I’m dead serious,” Hayes said before pointing at Reaves’ Ayton jersey. “He’s (number) five right now. This is Deandre Ayton.”
The Lakers hadn’t had two days off since the All-Star break and have played six of their last seven games on the road. Lakers coach JJ Redick said that the short break was an opportunity for a reset ahead of a back-to-back set against the Washington Wizards (17-56) and Cleveland Cavaliers (46-28) on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
But a reset didn’t stop his team from insisting on arriving for an early practice in El Segundo on Sunday morning.
“I think, based on all of them wanting to come in at 10 a.m. on a Sunday, I think (the break) is as much mental and spiritual and emotional,” Redick said. “We didn’t want to have these guys in here long today, but we got a lot done, watched some film and cleaned some stuff up.”
Redick said that across the latest stretch, for which the Lakers have won 9 out of their last 10 games and 14 out of their previous 16 games, he hasn’t seen a consequential slippage in fatigue or focus.
Yes, the Lakers have been without guard Marcus Smart, the sparkplug of their defensive operation for three consecutive games.
“Obviously when you’re missing one of your best defenders, one of the leaders on that side of the floor, you’re not going to be as good,” Reaves said. “It’s going to take a little time. But hopefully we get him back soon and continue to build what we’ve been building.”
Redick also admitted that they could be better on the defensive end in recent games, having allowed 130 points to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, but the Lakers coach said that without stellar offensive and defensive performances, they wouldn’t have been able to riddle off the victorious March that they’ve had.
Hayes said he believes getting a full season with practically the same squad (Luke Kennard joined the team at the trade deadline in swap), unlike last season when Luka Doncic entered the fold in a historic swap, has positioned the Lakers to be better prepared for the playoffs this time around.
“All of us have had time to grow and play with each other,” Hayes said. “(To) be able to hoop with each other for the past few months. So it’s been able to build the chemistry.”
NOTES
Forward Adou Thiero (left knee soreness) and Smart (right ankle contusion) remain at a day-to-day status heading into the Lakers’ games this week.
“We’re just kind of waiting for them to feel like they’re good enough to go,” Redick said.
Redick added that Luka Doncic, who will miss Monday’s game with a one-game suspension for having received his 16th technical foul of the season, is “disappointed” in himself in regards to missing a game. Doncic remains in line to pass 65 games, and be eligible for post-season awards such as MVP.
“He wants to be there for his teammates,” Redick said. “He’s not a guy that takes games off. He can be banged up and he’s gonna play. He was like that when I was his teammate in Dallas.”