Lakers basketball is officially back, as the purple and gold kick off preseason action tonight at 10:00 PM ET against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The team is ushering in a new era under head coach JJ Redick, who is tasked with guiding a motivated roster led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
With media day out of the way and a few practices behind them, here are three things to watch as the Lakers kick off preseason play.
Three Things to Watch in Lakers Preseason
How James and Davis Look Post-Olympics
A pivotal point to watch will be how LeBron and AD look following their gold medal run with Team USA in Paris. During media day, James reflected on what he learned from his Olympic run as he enters a record-tying 22nd season:
“To go out there, at my age, the miles that I have, and to be able to play at the level I played at, it gave me even more of a sense of, ‘Okay, I do have a lot left in the tank, a lot, and I can help a big part of the team win the ultimate [prize] in whatever—if it’s gold or if it’s a Larry O’Brien, or whatever the case may be, I could still get it done.”
LeBron played a key role in Team USA’s success—often filling the stat sheet without having to drop 20 or 30 points a night. The latter may still be the case with the Lakers, but James appears prepared for the increased workload as he approaches his age-40 season.
Likewise, Anthony Davis thrived for Team USA at his natural power forward position. While that same luxury is not promised to him on the Lakers, Redick has emphasized how the nine-time All-Star will be an “offensive hub” and recently asked AD to make a key change to his game.
“He has been on me all summer about shooting 3s,” Davis said during media day. “Even in the Olympics when I would make a 3, he would text me and say that’s what I want to see and things like that. But for him, it’s definitely gonna be shooting more 3s.”
Preseason will offer a great look at Davis’s fit in the new offense, as Redick aims to maximize Davis in ways unique to years past.
Preview of Redick’s Rotation
Redick also confirmed Tuesday that he will roll with a nine-man rotation this season:
“There’s a lot of guys that are gonna compete for spots. I’ve always sort of envisioned a nine-man rotation in the regular season, so there’s definitely some competition for that ninth spot.”
Aside from the confirmed starters (James, Davis, D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura), players such as Max Christie, Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt (once healthy), Jaxson Hayes, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Cam Reddish will all get a chance to fill the remaining four slots, according to Redick. And among that group of players, be sure to watch how Christie fares in a potentially increased role.
Christie has already expressed how excited he was to re-sign with LA and how optimistic he felt about the team under new leadership. Both Redick and James have heaped praise on the 21-year-old guard.
Redick stated, “Max Christie is going to be a guy in his career who has a high level of impact winning for a lot of the reasons Rob talked about. He’s been fully bought in to all of the player development stuff.”
James echoed the sentiment, adding that he sees Christie as a key rotation piece:
“He’s gotten better and better and I’m happy we were able to bring him back in the summertime. I look forward to a bright season from him.”
Christie is clearly hoping to improve on the 4.2 points and 2.0 rebounds he averaged in 14 minutes per game last season. An increase in both responsibility and confidence could do wonders for his game.
How Dalton Knecht and Bronny James Adjust to the NBA
There are plenty of headlines surrounding both Lakers rookies, whether it’s the sharpshooter that fell to #17 in the draft or the son of an NBA legend selected late in the second round. Both Dalton Knecht and Bronny James have certain expectations to fulfill, all before they play a second of NBA action.
Luckily, their teammates, coaching staff and executives have expressed their belief in the two newest Lakers.
For Knecht, whose blazing hot Summer League could carry over into the regular season, the former Tennessee wing has been considered in the “one percent” of shooters by Redick. Knecht’s flamethrower of a shot could easily help the Lakers, who were near the bottom of the barrel when it came to three-point success last season. His size and athleticism add to an early case for a rotation spot, while his defense could improve with time.
Lakers’ LeBron James on rookie Dalton Knecht: “Dalton, besides Bronny, was my favorite player in college basketball. … I did not think he would fall to 17 at all. … I’m glad he did.” pic.twitter.com/TGe9OUoGtX
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 6, 2024
As for Bronny—one of the most scrutinized second-round picks in recent memory—he may spend most of his season in the G League. However, that does not mean he’s completely excluded from contributing to the main club.
Redick has already cited on-ball defense as one of James Jr.’s best attributes, and that may be where he could help the most if given the chance. Offensively, he has shown he’s capable of finding his own shot and being an aggressive scorer—not to mention the high basketball IQ that leads to smart heads-up plays. Bronny, like Knecht, will continue to grow over the course of his first year, but preseason will offer the best glimpse of how he fares against NBA competition this early in his career.
Bronny with the stepback 3!
13 PTS (50% FG) 5 REB, 3 AST, 2 BLK in 25 MINS pic.twitter.com/Ea9QTB9aLk https://t.co/oyfN0jlqxm
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) July 19, 2024
Lakers 2024 Preseason Schedule
Following tonight’s game against the Timberwolves, the Lakers will have five more tune-up games before an Oct. 22 opening night—once again, battling the Wolves.
- Lakers vs. Suns: Oct. 6, 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT
- Lakers at Bucks: Oct. 10, 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT
- Lakers vs. Warriors: Oct. 15, 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT
- Lakers at Suns: Oct. 17, 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT
- Lakers at Warriors: Oct. 18, 10:30 PM ET/7:30 PM PT
