The Lakers’ preseason ended with a familiar problem showing up at the wrong time.
Los Angeles fell to the Denver Nuggets, 121-106, in Friday’s preseason finale, finishing exhibition play at 2-3 before turning its attention to the 82-game regular season, which begins Wednesday. The Lakers won’t have to wait long to try to reset, with the Golden State Warriors up next on Opening Night.
The most interesting part of the night came early: Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler shared the floor for the first time since joining forces. But Lakers fans only got one half of the trio, since Doncic did not play after halftime. That limited sample was enough to give a taste of what the group could become, even if it left plenty unanswered.
Doncic and Reaves already look comfortable together. The bigger storyline is Kessler, who the Lakers are counting on to grow into a major defensive piece while also fitting cleanly alongside the two guards. With the regular season nearing, the Lakers have very little time to sharpen the chemistry and sort out roles for a trio that could define how far this team goes.
JJ Redick also gave a possible look at the starting five, using Doncic, Reaves, Kessler, Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle. Quentin Grimes was left on the bench.
The construction makes sense on the defensive end, especially with Williams and Thybulle bringing athleticism and versatility around the team’s core. But the tradeoff was obvious.
The shooting and half-court offense were shaky, and Denver’s 36-22 first-quarter burst exposed that right away.
That tension is going to be one of the key questions for Redick. Does he lean into the defensive upside and versatility of Williams and Thybulle, or does he prioritize the shooting Grimes can provide? There’s a real fit debate here, and it showed in the way Los Angeles struggled to find offensive rhythm early.
The turnovers only made things worse. The Lakers finished with 14, matching Denver, but six of those came in the first quarter alone. Those mistakes helped the Nuggets grab control from the opening tip, forcing Los Angeles to chase the game the rest of the night.
And while the Lakers did make some runs, the defensive breakdowns undercut them every time. Denver kept answering, which meant the Lakers never got the kind of clean momentum they needed to fully swing the game back. If the turnovers, slow starts and uneven defense stick around, they could become a real issue once the games start counting for good.
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What stands out more heading into the opener is how little Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler got to share the floor together. Add in the turnover issues that showed up during the exhibition slate and Collin Sexton missing the preseason with an injury, and the Lakers still have some sorting out to do once the games count. The talent is obvious, but the first real test is whether this new core can sharpen quickly enough to avoid a slow start. [Read more 🡒]
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For a Lakers team still sorting out its rotation and identities, that kind of versatility matters. JJ Redick has described Mamukelashvili as an offensive piece who can move between positions, and he expects him to be involved in a meaningful way this season. The question now is how that preseason promise translates once the games start to count, especially if his ability to fit into different lineup combinations turns out to be more important than anyone first imagined. [Read more 🡒]