DENVER – Jake Laravia had a mentor on the bench.
Then a second-year Memphis Grizzlies ahead, he listened fastidiously to Marcus Good — who was named NBA Defensive Participant of the Yr two years in the past — as he tried to search out his footing within the league. Laravia’s per-game steal numbers and his minutes greater than doubled in comparison with the Grizzlies within the backside three of the Western Convention in 2023-2024. Good, who performed solely 25 video games for the Grizzlies resulting from a foot sprain and a finger harm, spoke to his then-21-year-old teammate about what he might do to assist Laravia’s improvement.
These classes, Laravia stated, have was tangible elements of her private present abilities.
“(Good) taught me lots about my state of affairs,” Laravia informed the Southern California Information Group in Denver on Thursday. “When he wasn’t taking part in and I used to be taking part in, it was cool, as a result of he was in a position to educate me extra about defensive positioning, fingers, deflections, the very best time to steal, issues like that.”
Quick ahead two years later, and Good, Laravia and trade-deadline acquisition Luke Kennard spherical out the Grizzlies-turned-Lakers on the 2025-26 roster. On Sunday, Lakers coach JJ Redick praised Laravia, who has had a steal in every of his final 4 video games.
“We knew he can be disruptive by way of steals and deflections,” Redick stated. “He is been actually good by way of his physicality. And by way of executing what we wish him to do, particularly off-ball, we speak about catching and catching on a regular basis. He is been actually good bodily with that. For the overwhelming majority of the season, all the things we have requested of him by way of what his obligations are.”
on tuesday, After the Lakers beat the New Orleans PelicansThanks partially to the defensive stance impressed by Good (4 steals, three blocked pictures) – Redick identified how Good’s defensive tenacity results in runs and forces opponents to name timeouts.
“He is been constant all yr, which is what we have wanted him to do,” Redick stated of Good. “I believe he is performed nice basketball the final 5, six weeks and it begins on the defensive finish.”
Redick stated earlier than the group’s first recreation after the All-Star break on February 20 that whether or not it is Laravia or Good on the courtroom to start out the sport within the beginning lineup, every participant’s defensive profile helps arrange which of his gamers will tackle the harder defensive assignments. Good, over his final 10 video games, leads the Lakers in steals (1.9 per recreation), whereas being second solely to backup heart Jackson Hayes with a plus-minus of 6.6.
It could be no shock for Laravia to see what Good has to supply the Lakers because the postseason approaches.
“He simply brings power each evening,” Laravia stated. “The hustle goes on, like when he dives on the ball, when he will get 50/50 balls, when he will get steals, when he will get stops. Like he brings a lot power and tenacity on the defensive aspect, so all of us rally behind him.”
