EL SEGUNDO — Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic soared over the throng of reporters as Coach JJ Redick answered the final question during his media availability on Thursday afternoon. Redick might not have seen it as such, as he chuckled while the pair attempted to distract their coach as he responded about newly acquired wing Luke Kennard adjusting to the Lakers during the team’s first full practice since Jan. 11. But it was almost like a taunt – a reminder of how little the pair has been on the court alongside LeBron James this season. “It was good to have Luka and AR practice as well,” Redick said as he gazed upward at Doncic and Reaves. Redick could breathe a little easier, at least temporarily, sharing Thursday that the full roster should be available for Friday night’s home game against the Clippers (26-28). Redick said Reaves will be removed from his minutes restriction for the first time since returning in early February from a left calf strain that had sidelined him for 19 games, while Doncic is set to play for the first time since missing the past four games after suffering a mild left hamstring strain. “It’s funny, we were talking before the season about building continuity with those three guys, and we’ve had them available together for 10 games,” Redick said. “My messaging this morning to the players was this is going to be a sprint, these last 28 games. It’s another segment of the season where, starting tomorrow, we won’t have more than a day between games until the end of March. So we’ve got an opportunity to, I think, play our best basketball after the All-Star break.” Doncic currently leads the league in scoring at 32.8 points per game, while Reaves has averaged 20 points per game since his return, second only to James on the Lakers (33-21) across that six-game span, despite only playing 25.4 minutes per game on a minutes restriction off the bench. All three players, who each average more than 20 points per game for the season, have played just 10 games (for a 7-3 record) alongside each other this season. Reaves, who, like James, is poised to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, pointed to last season’s success playing together as something to lean on heading into their upcoming stretch. He also admitted there will be a “learning curve” with how to play with each other – along with the rest of the Lakers’ roster. “He’s a great player,” Doncic said of Reaves. “He’s going to help.” When asked about the team’s potential for the rest of the season, should health permit, Reaves said the Lakers could “win a lot of games.” “Even with the unfortunate injuries and stuff, we’ve done a good job of maintaining (results),” Reaves said. “We’re fifth in the West, on pace for a good record and just getting healthy is going to continue to help that. So it’ll be fun to see what that looks like and get to work.” Part of “maintaining” has been through defensive effort. Across the past 14 games, Redick emphasized a zone defense approach, one that he said made the Lakers the “No. 1 half-court defense” in the league over that stretch. Redick added that the 2-3 zone has reduced transition possessions allowed, breaking down the flow of the game to create underperformance for opposing teams shooting from 3-point range. The Lakers are 9-5 across their previous 14 games, recording the 13th-best defensive rating in the NBA (112.7) and eighth-best opposing 3-point percentage (33.8%). Doncic said he believes the zone defense has been improving since it was introduced into the Lakers’ schemes, adding that when the team reaches the playoffs, it could help slow high-octane opponents if executed well. “It’s been a good tool for us, and we recognize that,” said Redick, who added that he knows the Lakers will also have to play man-to-man and other defensive schemes depending on the moment. “With this group, it’s not going to be one thing. We’ve got to continue to be adaptable and search for the right answer in the middle of the game.” KENNARD’S FIRST PRACTICE Thursday’s first practice since the All-Star break was Kennard’s first opportunity to practice since he joined the team in the trade that sent guard Gabe Vincent and a second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks. Redick said Kennard, who was taking 3-point shots alongside forward Rui Hachimura after practice, had a “terrific” day at the facility. “Obviously, he’s not going to fit in right away,” Doncic said. “It’s going to take some time. I think his shot, he always thinks it’s going to go in.” Related Articles Lon Rosen named Lakers’ president of business operations Analysis: 5 questions the Lakers need to answer over the next 2 months Report: Lakers’ Deandre Ayton briefly detained in Bahamas on suspicion of marijuana possession Alexander: Readers submit their favorite SoCal sports moments Good game, bad dunk contest: NBA All-Star Weekend’s highs and lows ...read more read less