Through three preseason games, the Lakers have yet to see their big three share the floor for a single second. While Walker Kessler made his preseason debut on Tuesday, Luka Dončić sat, delaying the first look at the team’s new core. Meanwhile, newly signed guard Collin Sexton has yet to play through the exhibition slate.
Even with the full rotation unavailable, the principles head coach JJ Redick is looking to instill are starting to take shape. A major emphasis during training camp has been implementing
a more open offensive system, which even includes finding more off-ball opportunities for Luka Dončić.
“Luka and I have talked throughout last season and again in the summer,” Redick said prior to the team’s most recent win over the Kings. “He likes the off-ball stuff…It’s diversification. Sometimes, you can get caught up in the numbers but early pick and rolls with Austin and Luka are actually very good half-court numbers, like [points per possession] wise. Elite, actually. That’s not to say we’re not going to do that but, habitually, we don’t want to start day one just running drags every time down the floor.”
The Lakers superstar led the league in total pick-and-roll possessions last year, ranking in the top of the league in efficiency at the 90th percentile. He also had the highest usage rate last season at 36.8%, so finding ways to get him involved off-ball could help lessen his workload.
Thursday’s win over the Kings was the first opportunity to see Luka and Austin Reaves share the floor with the new roster. LA opened the game with Luka operating off the ball, as shown below.
The Lakers set up in their Horns formation. Luka enters the ball to Reaves while Quentin Grimes cuts off a rip screen. Luka then receives a flare screen from Kevon Looney.
Every screen forces the defense to make a decision, and the action naturally flows into an empty-side pick-and-roll with the opposing big man in drop coverage.
Luka, off the catch, curls around the screen with a live dribble and gets all the way to the rim for an and-one finish.
In the next clip, Reaves throws a skip pass to Jake LaRavia in the corner. Luka quickly springs over to get the handoff. The Kings put two defenders on the ball, opening the door for Luka to find LaRavia cutting to the rim with a pocket pass.
The drags Redick referred to are typically on-ball screens immediately run for the ball handler once they cross half court. These plays, while they may still end the possession in some sort of screen action, offer more versatility in how the Lakers initiate their offense.
While much of the success of these actions relies on Reaves being the other primary ball handler, the Lakers will also look to their versatile new big man, Sandro Mamukelashvili.
Mamu brings the ability for LA to operate with five-out spacing. This creates open lanes in the paint, and helps promote more off-ball actions for the purple and gold’s star backcourt.
Watch in the clip below as he brings the ball up the court. With Luka’s defender aggressively denying him the ball, he cuts backdoor and receives the bounce pass to draw two free throws.
“He’s got such a high basketball IQ, if he gets a rebound he should basically play the one,” Reaves said after a recent practice. “It doesn’t matter if I’m on the floor, it doesn’t matter if Luka is on the floor. If he gets it and goes, has a good matchup we trust whatever he’s planned to do. He’ll be really good for us.”
Mamu has not only knocked down his 3-pointers at a high clip, shooting 8-14 so far in preseason, but he’s racked up 11 assists, ranking second on the team.
The Lakers’ offense is far from its final product. Sexton is expected to serve as the third ball handler behind the two stars, but has yet to appear in a preseason game.
Even with those players unavailable, it’s clear the Lakers are implementing a more free-flowing offensive system.
Luka, when asked about the new offense, joked after practice how much he still loves pick and rolls.
Those won’t be going anywhere anytime soon, but the Lakers hope they won’t have to begin every possession that way.
You can follow Raj on X at @RajChipalu
