The offseason brought Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton, and Matisse Thybulle to Los Angeles, but the perimeter defense may still be too thin for a deep playoff run.
The Los Angeles Lakers addressed their biggest offseason needs with real moves this summer.
Center Walker Kessler arrived from Utah to anchor the interior, guard Collin Sexton signed as a free agent to add scoring off the bench, and wing Matisse Thybulle came over from Portland on a one-year deal worth $3.3 million to give the perimeter some defensive presence.
JJ Redick has talked up this roster after the minicamp in Slovenia, and the talent around guard Luka Doncic and guard Austin Reaves looks more complete than it did a year ago.
The front office checked most of the boxes heading into training camp.
The one they may not have checked enough is wing depth behind Thybulle, and it could be the problem that defines their postseason ceiling.
What Thybulle Alone Cannot Fix
Sexton acknowledged during his introductory press conference that Kessler would change the defensive identity of the team.
"He is going to have a huge impact, especially on the defensive end," Sexton said, and nobody around the organization disagrees.
The rim protection Kessler provides is a real upgrade, but it only works if the perimeter can slow guards down before they reach the basket.
Thybulle was brought in for that reason, and his ability to guard multiple positions and force turnovers has been proven across his career.
The concern is availability.
Thybulle played just 49 games across two seasons in Portland, and a one-year deal at $3.3 million reflects how much risk the front office sees in counting on him for a full season.
The Wing Depth Problem
Beyond Thybulle, the options get thin quickly.
Forward Jarred Vanderbilt is the next best wing defender on the roster, but he shot just 29.3 percent from three in 65 games last season, and that lack of shooting makes it easy for opposing teams to sag off him and pack the paint in front of Kessler.
Guard Dalton Knecht averaged 4.2 points per game as a sophomore and still projects more as an offensive player than someone the coaching staff trusts in big defensive moments.
The rest of the wing rotation lacks the lateral quickness to stay in front of dynamic ball-handlers, and if Thybulle misses time, the drop-off at the position is steep enough to change the team's trajectory.
What Training Camp Will Reveal
Redick has talked about building a defensive identity since the day he took the coaching job, and training camp is where the staff finds out whether the depth behind Thybulle can support that vision.
The front office is banking on Kessler protecting the rim well enough that the wing defenders only need to be adequate, but that math gets difficult in a conference where guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards are waiting on the other side.
The Lakers addressed the perimeter this summer more than they have in years, and a healthy Thybulle alongside Kessler's shot-blocking would give this group a real defensive foundation.
Whether any of it pays off in April could come down to one question that training camp cannot fully answer, and that is whether one wing defender with a shaky health record is enough to carry a position where the roster still needs more depth.
