NBA Scout Drops Brutally Honest Take on JJ Redick's Comments About Lakers' Improved Defense

JJ Redick's assessment that the Los Angeles Lakers have the talent, particularly on defense, to become a championship-level team during the 2026-27 season is not shared by at least one person who works in the NBA.

An anonymous scout for a rival team had a one-word response for The Athletic's Sam Amick when asked if they felt the Lakers had the pieces in place to win a title this season.

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Redick told reporters at the start of training camp he has confidence in this new-look roster gelling over the course of the season to become a title contender.

"I really believe in our wing group," Redick said (h/t Amick). "I believe in their defense. I believe in their ability to make open 3s. (But) you don't become a championship team (in late September). You have to become one throughout the season."

This offseason saw the Lakers go all-in on building the team around Luka Dončić in ways they couldn't before because LeBron James was still a huge presence.

The Lakers' invested heavily to bring in Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes and Sandro Mamukelashvili. They also gave Austin Reaves a four-year, $185 million contract to keep him in free agency.

Kessler stands out as the key to determining how high the Lakers' ceiling is this season. He is the first rim-running center Dončić has played with since being acquired by Los Angeles.

The 25-year-old Kessler has been an elite rim protector over the past two seasons, though that comes with some caveats because he has only played 63 games during that period.

Kessler's health will be paramount because Dončić and Austin Reaves in the backcourt are not known for their defensive capabilities.

Grimes has a strong defensive reputation , though he struggled on that end of the floor during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers. Matisse Thybulle can provide wing defense off the bench.

The Lakers haven't finished in the top 10 in defensive rating since the 2020-21 season when they ranked No. 1. They haven't ranked higher than 15th in each of the last two seasons.

There hasn't been an NBA champion that ranked outside the top 10 in defensive rating since the 2022-23 Denver Nuggets. They overcame their limitations on that end of the court by having the fourth-best offense for a championship team in league history.

The 2025-26 New York Knicks had the second-worst defensive rating for an NBA champion, behind only that Nuggets team, but they were seventh in the league in that category.