The 2023-24 The Los Angeles Lakers faced the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center on Saturday night, beginning their quest for the franchise’s 18th banner without LeBron James and Austin Reaves. A 125-108 victory for Golden State.
“Overall, I’m pleased,” Darvin Ham remarked. I appreciate the composition of our group, but there are some areas we need to tidy up.
Here are five takeaways from the Lakers’ preseason opener that we learned (or didn’t).
Fifth, the third-act opener is still up in the air…
Ham’s starting lineup consists of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, and D’Angelo Russell. He was clean about knowing the identity of the fifth starter and suggested that it would become clear during training camp. Taurean Prince is the better shooter, while Jarred Vanderbilt is the greatest wing defender and Rui Hachimura provides scoring and size. Although all three have practiced with the first team, Vanderbilt is a slight favorite after one week of camp. (Ham would rather have a set starting five than shuffle things around.)
Not much was learned by us on Saturday. Hachimura and Vanderbilt both started due to LeBron’s absence. In 21 minutes of action, Rui scored 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting and grabbed 7 boards. Vando made 6 and 7, both from deep in the corners. To earn starting and closing roles, he must convert a sufficient number of those.
Meanwhile, Prince was unable to play for any further 13 minutes due to fouling out.
4) While the figҺt for the reserve wing… may be D
Max Christie, Prince, and Cam Reddish are likely vying for the fourth guard spot for the Lakers this training camp.
The first Laker to come off the bench was Christie. The 20-year-old played the most minutes (25), scoring 15 points with ease on 6-of-10 shooting. He aggressively went after the basket and put the ball on the floor, just the way Ham likes to see it. On one particularly arduous second-half drive to the cup, his bulk really shown through.
Ham said of him after the game, “He’s a guy that’s gonna be one of our most versatile basketball players on the roster.” “He can cover the 1 and the 3 and even certain 4s…. I want him to feel at ease shooting the three and playing downhill because offensively he can catch and shoot with the best of ’em.
In other words, “he does it all,” as AD put it. Complete assurance. Max has a lot of potential, and he’s just now beginning to realize it.
Christie has now firmly established himself as the leading candidate for backup wing. Unfortunately, Reddish had shooting difficulties (0-for-4) and sprained his right ankle in the fourth quarter.
Thirdly, DLo has a lot to teach Jalen Hood-Schifino.
Hood-Schifino, like Christie, has received a lot of praise for his impressive performance thus far in training camp.
The newcomer had a shaky first outing. He only made 3 of 12 shots (1 of 5 3-pointers) and seemed unsure of himself on the court, committing 3 careless (nervous) turnovers and missing a few open chances. Coaches, on the other hand, will like his аggressive play. He snatched up six planks.
JHS operates with a deft hand. In addition to his height (6’6) and eyesight, his ability to subtly exploit his slower pace to his advantage is his greatest asset. Also true of DLo.
The Dubs’ defense was no match for Russell, who settled into his roles with ease. He scored 15 points (6-of-10 FG), dished out 5 assists, had zero turnovers, and was a plus-8 in just 16 minutes of action. In pick and rolls, he would calmly set up his shot and his teammates. His little time with Gabe Vincent showed promise.
While Russell acknowledges his versatility, he believes his best performance comes with another point guard by his side.
Hood-Schifino, if he hasn’t done so before, should learn a lot from Russell. My favorite play of the night occurred when Russell shrewdly identified the youngster under the rim on an inbounds pass and the two worked together to set up Hood-Schifino for a fast-break three-pointer (9:18 in the video below):
AD’s jumper is progressing nicely, 2)
Lakers fans have been excited about Davis’ potential since Reaves talked up his shot at LeBron’s minicamp. In the 2019 postseason, Davis had a 57.7 percent clip from beyond the arc. The following year, he shot 34% from 15-19 feet and 26% from beyond the arc. From deep, his percentages improved (18.6% in 2021-22, 25.6% in 2023-24)
When asked about the condition of his J, Davis has played it down.
“Not sure where it’s at until we get into practices and games,” he said at Media Day. When there is no pressure on them, anyone may make shots during practice. So, when training camp rolls around, we’ll see how things go in the preseason games and throughout the season. But I’m in fine shape.”
Davis blasted two consecutive threes as a trailer in transition during a second-quarter run after first pressuring Kevon Looney. In 13 minutes of action, he tallied 15 points and 5 boards.
I conceded. That sums it up,” Davis concluded. As one player put it, “I thought our guards did a great job of penetrating the defense and finding open guys.”
For two seasons, the Los Angeles Lakers’ halfcourt offense has been average at best. If Davis can once again consistently score from all three levels, this team will be impossible to defend.
For Los Angeles, the night’s best news was AD’s (temporary) supremacy.
Ham remarked, “What makes me smile is the pure delight on his face as he plays.” It’s easy to tell that he’s quite happy. His game is going well, and his body feels great. This summer, he has worked very hard. Both he and Bron are ravenously hungry. And that affects everyone on our staff. But he plays with an overwhelming sense of delight.
Two major lineups have returned: 1)
In 2022-23, Davis was the team’s sole center. He let the Lakers know he didn’t want to play for them again.
In a short amount of time, Ham confirmed that the message had been received.
AD has scrimmaged at power forward alongside Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes so far in training camp. He may have been unfamiliar with the playbook, but he still appeared glad to not have to “stay out of 100 pick and rolls a game.”