{
  "id": 11104989,
  "title": "Lakers news: Why Sandro Mamukelashvili relishes ‘connector’ role in LA debut season",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/lakers-news-why-sandro-mamukelashvili-relishes-connector-role-in-la",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-01T04:15:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/lakers-news-why-sandro-mamukelashvili-041502640.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick is confident in his starting lineup consisting of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler, while Sandro Mamukelashvili competes for the remaining two spots. Mamukelashvili, a versatile 6'9\", 240-pound power forward, can also play small-ball center. He expressed his enjoyment of passing and finding open teammates, aiming to be a connector or spacer in the game. Redick highlighted Mamukelashvili's ability to play multiple positions, stating that he \"can get to the basket\" and make the right reads when the possession is dead. The coach emphasized that Mamukelashvili's skills in shooting, dribbling, and passing align with the Lakers' priorities during free agency. Mamukelashvili, who had a standout season with the Toronto Raptors, remains focused on contributing to the team's success regardless of his role.",
  "summary": "LOS ANGELES – Coming into training camp, Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick was sure of who three of his five starters were going to be . Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler will be in the starting lineup, with the other two spots up for grabs. New Lakers forward Sandro Mamukelashvili would appear to be one of the players vying for […] The post Lakers news: Why Sandro…",
  "key_points": [
    "Lakers coach JJ Redick confident in starting lineup of Doncic, Reaves, and Kessler.",
    "Versatile power forward Mamukelashvili aims to be a \"connector\" or \"spacer\".",
    "Mamukelashvili's skills in shooting, dribbling, and passing align with Lakers priorities."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Mamukelashvili's versatility and emphasis on passing and finding open teammates position him to enhance the Lakers' lineup flexibility and offence, aligning with coach Redick's priorities and team needs.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}