B/R: The Lakers were zipping around against Golden State the other night, running the floor, throwing lobs. It looks like you've been together for longer than you have. Why is that?
JM: Everybody's getting more and more comfortable. It's only preseason, and we're not even full-throttle at all—it's truly going to be amazing once the season starts. I'm really looking forward to it, going out there opening night against Portland, especially against two amazing guards in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. That's gonna be dope.
B/R: What's the dynamic like in L.A. among the veterans and the up-and-comers?
JM: Everybody's working hard—even the young guys. You usually see young guys worried about other things, but this is by far the most focused group of young guys I've been a part of. Rajon Rondo was saying yesterday that on the plane after the game, he walked up and down the aisle, and everyone was watching film. In 13 years, he's never seen anything like that.
B/R: What have you seen from Lonzo so far?
JM: He's amazing. He's extremely fast. Faster than I realized.
B/R: Brandon Ingram?
JM: I'm really impressed with his cool, calm, collected demeanor on the court. I've never seen a facial expression or anything! He'll dunk on you, shoot threes, and everything else that needs to be done out there.
B/R: Kyle Kuzma?
JM: That's prime time. That's blood right there. We come hard and we go hard—that's all I can say about him. He's gonna have a monster season.
B/R: Josh Hart?
JM: That's the bully of the guards. At practice, we have this drill where dunks and layups are worth more than threes and mid-range shots, and that's one drill he's extremely good at, because of how strong, fast and aggressive he is.
B/R: Has LeBron looked any good?
JM: That's LeBron James.