Lakers News: Frank Vogel Focusing on Defense, Toughness at LA's Practices

The Los Angeles Lakers conducted their first practice under new head coach Frank Vogel on Saturday, and per ESPN's Dave McMenamin, the session had a distinctive defensive theme.

"Vogel, whose Indiana Pacers teams were a perennial playoff force thanks to their defensive prowess, wanted to set the tone with his new group on that end of the floor," McMenamin wrote. "He dedicated nearly an hour of the first practice to on-ball defensive drills and principles."

"You're coming to play L.A. Lakers, you're going to get hit," Vogel said following the first of the day's two practice sessions. "You're going to get smashed in the mouth."

Vogel, who coached the Pacers and Orlando Magic before heading west, notably led Indiana to the league's No. 2 scoring defense in 2012-13 and 2013-14.

The Lakers can use his help on that end after the team finished 15th in defensive efficiency last season, per ESPN.com.

The offseason addition of six-time All-Star forward Anthony Davis, who has led the league in blocks and landed on the All-NBA Defensive team three times each, should also help matters.

"He's a defensive coach and wants to have a defensive mindset," Davis said regarding Vogel. "We're going to be a defensive team. We made sure we covered a lot of defensive schemes today."

Early returns are positive on the new-look Lakers, who are searching for their first postseason berth since 2012-13.

"I like the dynamic of the team," Davis said. "Everybody is playing physical and playing hard and coming in with the mindset of being professional and doing what we have to do to reach our goals."

The Lakers open the season Tuesday, Oct. 22, against the Los Angeles Clippers.