{"id":99244,"date":"2024-10-04T08:00:23","date_gmt":"2024-10-04T12:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=99244"},"modified":"2024-10-03T11:33:07","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T15:33:07","slug":"three-things-to-watch-in-lakers-preseason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/10\/04\/three-things-to-watch-in-lakers-preseason\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Things to Watch in Lakers Preseason"},"content":{"rendered":"

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 <\/span>JJ Redick<\/span><\/a>, who is tasked with guiding a motivated roster led by <\/span>LeBron James<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Anthony Davis<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Three Things to Watch in Lakers Preseason<\/b><\/h2>\n

How James and Davis Look Post-Olympics<\/b><\/h3>\n

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 <\/span>what he learned from his Olympic run<\/span><\/a> as he enters a record-tying 22nd season:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTo 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, \u2018Okay, I do have a lot left in the tank, <\/span>a lot<\/span><\/i>, and I can help a big part of the team win the ultimate [prize] in whatever\u2014if it\u2019s gold or if it\u2019s a Larry O\u2019Brien, or whatever the case may be, I could still get it done.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

LeBron played a key role in Team USA\u2019s success\u2014often <\/span>filling the stat sheet<\/span><\/a> 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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 \u201coffensive hub\u201d and recently asked AD to make a key change to his game.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>He has been on me all summer about shooting 3s,\u201d Davis <\/span>said<\/span><\/a> during media day. \u201cEven in the Olympics when I would make a 3, he would text me and say that\u2019s what I want to see and things like that. But for him, it\u2019s definitely gonna be shooting more 3s.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Preseason will offer a great look at Davis\u2019s fit in the new offense, as Redick aims to maximize Davis in ways unique to years past.<\/span><\/p>\n

Preview of Redick\u2019s Rotation<\/b><\/h3>\n

Redick also confirmed Tuesday that he will roll with a <\/span>nine-man rotation<\/span><\/a> this season:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of guys that are gonna compete for spots. I\u2019ve always sort of envisioned a nine-man rotation in the regular season, so there\u2019s definitely some competition for that ninth spot.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Aside from the <\/span>confirmed starters<\/span><\/a> (James, Davis, <\/span>D\u2019Angelo Russell<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Austin Reaves<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Rui Hachimura<\/span><\/a>), players such as <\/span>Max Christie<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Gabe Vincent<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Jarred Vanderbilt<\/span><\/a> (once healthy), <\/span>Jaxson Hayes<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Jalen Hood-Schifino<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Cam Reddish<\/span><\/a> 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Christie<\/span><\/a> 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Redick <\/span>stated<\/span><\/a>, \u201c<\/span>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\u2019s been fully bought in to all of the player development stuff.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

James echoed the sentiment, adding that he sees Christie as a <\/span>key rotation piece<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>He\u2019s gotten better and better and I\u2019m happy we were able to bring him back in the summertime. I look forward to a bright season from him.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Dalton Knecht and Bronny James Adjust to the NBA<\/b><\/h3>\n

There are plenty of headlines surrounding both Lakers rookies, whether it\u2019s the sharpshooter that fell to #17 in the draft or the son of an NBA legend selected late in the second round. Both <\/span>Dalton Knecht<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Bronny James<\/span><\/a> have certain expectations to fulfill, all before they play a second of NBA action.<\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily, their teammates, coaching staff and executives have expressed their belief in the two newest Lakers.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Knecht, whose blazing hot Summer League could carry over into the regular season, the former Tennessee wing has been considered in the <\/span>\u201cone percent\u201d of shooters by Redick<\/span><\/a>. Knecht\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/BenGolliver\/status\/1809697834872218073<\/p>\n

As for Bronny\u2014one of the most scrutinized second-round picks in recent memory\u2014he may spend most of his season in the G League. However, that does not mean he\u2019s completely excluded from contributing to the main club.<\/span><\/p>\n