First impressions are important.
Whether it’s your appearance during a job interview, how your jokes land on a blind date or the execution of an offensive set in a team’s preseason game, a lot could be garnered from that first blink.
That said, it’s also easy to get too lost in the noise of small samples. It’s understandable to have knee-jerk reactions, both good and bad, but sifting through the context and finding kernels of truth is the best way to navigate the maze that is the NBA preseason.
Players
miss games, rotations are out of whack, effort levels range wildly and playbooks are still a work in progress.
That’s all been the case for the Lakers in their three preseason games.
And yet, there have also been flashes of validity worth keeping an eye on. Let’s examine some of those things that could carry over into the season.
The good
With so much roster turnover and the natural identity shift that comes with LeBron James’ departure, there were expected growing pains heading into the Lakers’ exhibition period.
That’s been seen in various areas already. However, it’s not been as severe as previously assumed. In fact, there has been an immediate and innate chemistry seen on the floor that has been encouraging.
First-time teammates are flowing and jiving with one and other despite the lack of time together. Whether improvised or organized, the new and returning players are exhibiting a natural chemistry on offense.
Errant passes and missed defensive rotations are still ongoing. But the intent is there. And the overall enthusiasm has leaped from the screen.
A big reason for the clean fit is that there is no misconception about roles. With James gone, there is no confusion about the pecking order in terms of shot creation. And as a result, the rest of the team can settle into natural duties and expectations.
New players like Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams and Sandro Mamukelashvili have specifically benefited from this.
By embracing their 3-and-D roles and low usage on offense, Thybulle and Williams have stood out as seamless fits next to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.
Mamukelashvili, on the other hand, has turned heads by operating as a connector.
Whether it’s making the extra pass, grabbing and going or just opening up the floor with his spacing ability, he’s filled in whatever gaps the team has needed.
There are many hurdles the Lakers will have to leap throughout the year as a new team and roster. It’s early, but at least on the cohesion front, they appear ahead of schedule.
The bad
Determining what is real or fake from preseason basketball often depends on how much things would change if regular lineups were used in a game.
The Lakers, for example, have yet to have all of their core players and expected starters available at the same time through their first three games. Despite this, the absence of players, most notably Walker Kessler, has actually highlighted a concern many had for the team dating back to the summer.
The question of how the Lakers will fare in non-Kessler minutes feels even more pressing now that we’ve seen their options in action.
Kevon Looney has done a serviceable job in Kessler’s absence, but his minutes have also displayed where his athletic limitations will hinder his impact the more he’s relied upon.
Head coach JJ Redick has also experimented with going small by playing Mamukelashvili at the five spot. The offensive upside definitely improves, but there’s a clear defensive ceiling to those groups and likely will be better in moderation.
Kessler’s absence has also highlighted the team’s overall rebounding deficiencies.
While preseason stats definitely should be taken with a grain of salt, the lineup and roster construction show some validity to why the Lakers have allowed the fourth-highest offensive rebound percentage in the preseason thus far.
Things may have also been exacerbated by Redick’s preference to use his bigger wings/forwards as point-of-attack defenders. This often leaves the guards tasked with helping secure boards against their bigger opponents.
Kessler won’t solve the team’s rebounding concerns on his own, but he will surely help considerably. The issue is that if he ever misses any significant time this season, this weakness could turn into a severe flaw.
The murkiness
As is typically the case with the preseason, there are still lingering questions that will require answers. Chief among them is what the rotation will actually look like once every one is available.
Safe assumptions can be made given the types of lineups Redick has deployed thus far. A player like Williams, for example, seems to be in the lead to secure the final starting spot.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Jarred Vanderbilt appears out of the immediate rotation given being used sparingly and mainly in garbage time despite the number of players the team has missed.
The team must also still shed at least one player prior to opening night to remain in league compliance.
Even more severe than Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht’s playing time opportunities seem to be slim at best, making him the leading candidate to be cut if the Lakers opt to go that route.
The other potential victim of the roster crunch could be Jaden Hardy. The guard has struggled in his chances this preseason and may cut into the minutes of the younger backcourt players on the roster. What is in Hardy’s favor in making the final squad is the helpfulness of his expiring $6 million contract for potential trades down the line.
Answers to these questions will naturally arise as we inch closer to the regular season. And while the games technically won’t matter until then, there are still moments and decisions now that could have important ramifications when they do.
All stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass unless otherwise stated. You can follow Alex on Bluesky at @alexregla.bsky.social.
