Lakers budding star’s ‘summer of reflection’ sparking early promise

Los Angeles Lakers forward Jake LaRavia is showing early promise this preseason following an offseason focused on mental reflection and shooting adjustments. After experiencing a steep second-half shooting slump and losing playing time during the 2025-26 playoffs, the 24-year-old dedicated his summer to daily journaling and tweaking his perimeter mechanics alongside head coach JJ Redick and assistant coach Beau Levesque.

Those adjustments have quickly translated on the court, with LaRavia averaging 12.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 53.8% from 3-point range through the preseason. Redick praised LaRavia's renewed shooting confidence, while the forward emphasized focusing on mental consistency and preparation rather than stressing over shot results.