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Did eye just see +\- stats posted from a preseason game?
Going back to sleep
Going back to sleep
**LA LAKERS THREAD** Sitting on 17! 2023-2024 offseason begins
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by licensed to ball,
- Start date
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max christie
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You can so tell who has been keeping their cardio up in summer. Prince and wood were definitely taking it easy in summer. Wood got the body of a 45 year old 2 job having blue collar 5 kids to feed dad.
darthska
Staff member
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Alright boys, first preseason game.
Who's getting traded?
Who's getting traded?
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AD and D'Lo looked good.
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Jaxson Hayes, he ain't any better than Damian Jones
darthska
Staff member
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Dog you can't do this all season.Jaxson Hayes, he ain't any better than Damian Jones
You going to do this all season?
Please don't do this all season.
LBVS 
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For the first time in the last 3 years this team finally gonna have a couple impact bigs helping out AD all season longDog you can't do this all season.
You going to do this all season?
Please don't do this all season.
Not to worry tho, once Hayes shows that he has become a regular part of the rotation and is making an impact while helping to make AD and the team better than last year's squad, the hype will no longer be needed.
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Liked what I saw last night.
Not taking a whole lot from the game since we haven't seen the full team play yet.
Not taking a whole lot from the game since we haven't seen the full team play yet.
Hijo Del Promo
formerly xxhu5sl1npnoyxx
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Best Lakers team of all time, Wow.
Look forward to the SZN.
Look forward to the SZN.
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Lakers vs. Warriors: 5 takeaways from LA’s preseason loss, including Anthony Davis’ jumper
The Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 125-108, on Saturday in both teams’ preseason opener at Chase Center. Here are five Lakers takeaways from the exhibition.
Starting lineup reveals early rotation trends
On one hand, the preseason is not a time to overreact or draw too many conclusions. Especially one game in. Especially with the Lakers missing both LeBron James and Austin Reaves because of rest.
On the other hand, it’s not entirely meaningless, either. It’s a team’s first chance to play against real competition and debut lineups and its rotation. The Lakers’ 0-6 record in the 2021-22 preseason and 1-5 record in the 2022-23 preseason were signs of what was to come early in those respective seasons.
Without James and Reaves, the Lakers started Anthony Davis, Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and D’Angelo Russell, offering the first glimpse of where head coach Darvin Ham and his coaching staff are currently with the rotation.
The three-man competition between Hachimura, Vanderbilt and Taurean Prince for the third starting frontcourt spot — which Ham said has already been decided earlier this week — appears to be down to just Hachimura and Vanderbilt. Hachimura entered camp as the favorite, but the recent buzz has suggested the Lakers are leaning toward Vanderbilt.
With Ham starting Vincent over Max Christie, that also signifies the Lakers are leaning toward a tighter backcourt rotation, with Russell, Reaves and Vincent featured prominently. (Christie is going to have a say, particularly after his strong play Saturday.)
And finally, despite all of the offseason talk of two-big lineups and Davis playing more at power forward, the Lakers still started him at center — in a game James didn’t play. Davis played several minutes with Christian Wood, but it seems like the Lakers are planning for those stints to come in the middle portion of games and not as a foundation of the rotation.
Davis’ 3-point resurgence
One of the biggest storylines of camp has been Davis’ jumper, which, by all accounts, is improved and much smoother.
Davis was automatic from deep in pregame warmups, but that only means so much if he isn’t willing to take them in games. He averaged just 1.3 3-point attempts per game last season, his lowest figure since 2014-15.
But Davis, who had 15 points in the game, let it fly against Golden State, attempting a 3 at the beginning of the game (he missed) and then making two early in the second quarter. He shot without hesitation, which is exactly how he should be approaching those looks.
This is the type of quick-strike 3 that Davis hasn’t consistently taken in several years. With Kevon Looney retreating toward the paint in transition, Davis had no one within 15 feet of him by the time he caught the swing pass from Cam Reddish. He should take this shot every time.
Less than a minute later, Davis took and made another one. He trailed the action again, but this time, Vincent hit him immediately and Davis knocked down the uncontested 3 with Looney sagging back near the free-throw line.
Davis has downplayed the narrative that his shot is back. He’s said he didn’t train any differently this past summer, even though Ham and vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka have insisted otherwise.
“It’s no different (from last season),” Davis said. “The way our spacing is, new plays that we implemented, and I was open … that’s really it. I think our guards did a good job of penetrating the defense and finding the right guys. Found me a couple of times, swing, swing, and off a pick. As long as they keep putting pressure on the defense and keep getting downhill, all them types of shots will be open, not just for me but for all our guys.”
Ham doesn’t want Davis attempting a certain number of 3s — former head coach Frank Vogel had set a goal of four attempts per game back in the 2020-21 preseason — but he wants him shooting them when the game calls for it.
“I mean, it’s just a matter of him taking different opportunities and making quick decisions,” Ham said. “It’s not like, ‘OK, I need you to go out here and every time you pop, make a 3.’ Just do what makes sense within the realm of what we’re trying to do on the offensive end. If it calls for a post-up, if it calls for a short roll, if it calls for a pick-and-pop 3, then do that. If it calls for you putting the ball on the floor and breaking the defender down off the dribble, do that. We don’t want to put a specific number on it or put a particular part of his game in a box or at the forefront. It’s just about making wise basketball decisions. And he’s multifaceted, so he does a great job at reading the situation.
“Now it’s just a matter of it being second nature for him to just expand his game beyond the 3-point line. And, obviously, continue to do what he’s doing inside the 3-point line.”
D’Angelo Russell’s playmaking shines
Russell was awesome in the first half, reminding his growing number of skeptics of his regular-season offensive value, particularly when James and Reaves are off the floor. He ran the offense brilliantly and struck the right balance between looking for his own shot and finding his teammates. He finished with 15 points and five assists.
Three consecutive possessions midway through the second quarter highlighted Russell’s impact. He scored on a runner, fed Jaxson Hayes a lob pass for a lay-in out of a pick-and-roll and found Vanderbilt in the right corner for a 3-pointer on a skip pass.
Here’s Russell’s alley-oop to Hayes. Watch as he manipulateed the defense with his hesitation dribble — Andrew Wiggins and Looney are a stout pick-and-roll tandem defensively — and then head-faked a backward pass before zipping a lob right over Looney’s head. Hayes, an uber-athlete that all of the guards are excited to play with, finished with ease.
“DLo did a great job of being methodical in our middle pick-and-roll,” Ham said. “Jaxson, he’s a natural-born livewire. Constantly looking to get hits and get his teammates open. And also, after the hit, really going downhill with force toward the rim. So they looked good together in the pick-and-roll.”
On the next possession, Russell grabbed the rebound and pushed toward the paint. He saw Wiggins cheating off of Vanderbilt in the corner and lasered a skip pass once Wiggins took a few additional steps and was too far to recover back. Vanderbilt, who works on his corner 3s after every practice, made his second from downtown of the game.
Concerns about Russell’s playoff viability will remain until he disproves them. But that’s months away. For now, he remains a highly useful shooter and playmaker that will keep LA’s offense afloat whenever James and/or Reaves is off the floor.
First impressions of the newcomers were mixed
Vincent scored seven points, drilling 27-foot and 29-foot 3s, and dished four assists, showing that his transition into the Lakers’ offense should be rather seamless. Hayes had five points and three assists, and was energetic and active in the paint. He’s a dangerous rim-runner and roller.
“That’s what he brings to our team, protecting the rim, the ability to be a lob threat,” Davis said of Hayes. “Throw it up there and he can go get it. Finish around the rim, set good screens, that’s what we’re going to need from him. His ability to catch lobs, you know, he attracts a lot of eyes. Now, without him knowing it, he’s making a play for someone else even though he’s not getting the ball.
“Now, we’re able to get guys open 3s or the guards might be able to get a layup because the bigs go back to him because they’re scared of a dunk. Or he’ll be able to get behind and a couple of finishes. He’s going to be a big component for our team.”
Jalen Hood-Schifino flashed some of the offensive repertoire that earned him praise in camp, but he also looked like an out-of-control rookie for large stretches. The talent is clearly there, but he’s still raw and needs time to develop.
It was a rough debut for Wood, Prince and Cam Reddish, to say the least.
Wood’s length is a factor defensively — he had a steal and a block — but there were possessions in which he seemed completely lost defensively. He also missed six of his eight shots and appeared rather slow and out of game shape. Prince racked up five fouls in his first eight minutes and fouled out in 13 minutes. He was routinely beaten off the dribble and physically overmatched in the paint. Reddish was ineffective offensively (0-for-4 shooting, three turnovers), air-balling a 3-pointer, clanking another one badly and too often seeking his own shot. He had some solid defensive plays, but he didn’t look like a rotation-caliber player. He sprained his ankle late in the game and did not return.
Christie is ready for a bigger role
Christie was the first Laker off the bench, signaling that Ham believes Christie is ready to assume a rotation role. He picked up where he left off in summer league, looking like a player primed for a breakout in his sophomore season.
“I just feel a lot more confident and a lot more comfortable out there,” Christie said.
Christie scored 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting in 25 minutes, including 2-for-4 on 3s. The shot creation he displayed at summer league is on track to translate at the NBA level.
Take this sequence early in the third quarter: Christie beat Warriors rookie guard Brandin Podziemski, who played an impressive game defensively, to the rim for a contested finish. Christie’s footwork and timing allowed him to leverage his superior size in the paint.
This is the type of move Christie should be able to consistently make against bench defenses.
“Just encouraging him to be more aggressive,” Ham said. “He’s a guy that can be one of our most versatile basketball players on the roster. He can guard multiple positions, from the 1 to the 3 and some 4s. I want him to be aggressive in that manner and take on those challenges. And then offensively, the same thing. He can catch and shoot with the best of them. And I want him to be comfortable shooting that 3. And also playing downhill, playing to the paint, playing to the rim. So it was good to see him get out there and get some reps as well.”
Though 12 of the Lakers’ 14 players are under 30, most are known commodities. Christie is one of the few with untapped potential. He’s earned rave reviews in camp and has gained the trust of his teammates, as well as the coaching staff.
“His ability to score, toughness, defends. He does it all,” Davis said. “Ultimate confidence. There are a lot of things you can say about Max. He’s putting it together. He knows where to pick his spots on the floor, where he’s going to score, where to make the right plays. And just being aggressive. We’re going to need that from him at some point this season.”
The Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 125-108, on Saturday in both teams’ preseason opener at Chase Center. Here are five Lakers takeaways from the exhibition.
Starting lineup reveals early rotation trends
On one hand, the preseason is not a time to overreact or draw too many conclusions. Especially one game in. Especially with the Lakers missing both LeBron James and Austin Reaves because of rest.
On the other hand, it’s not entirely meaningless, either. It’s a team’s first chance to play against real competition and debut lineups and its rotation. The Lakers’ 0-6 record in the 2021-22 preseason and 1-5 record in the 2022-23 preseason were signs of what was to come early in those respective seasons.
Without James and Reaves, the Lakers started Anthony Davis, Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and D’Angelo Russell, offering the first glimpse of where head coach Darvin Ham and his coaching staff are currently with the rotation.
The three-man competition between Hachimura, Vanderbilt and Taurean Prince for the third starting frontcourt spot — which Ham said has already been decided earlier this week — appears to be down to just Hachimura and Vanderbilt. Hachimura entered camp as the favorite, but the recent buzz has suggested the Lakers are leaning toward Vanderbilt.
With Ham starting Vincent over Max Christie, that also signifies the Lakers are leaning toward a tighter backcourt rotation, with Russell, Reaves and Vincent featured prominently. (Christie is going to have a say, particularly after his strong play Saturday.)
And finally, despite all of the offseason talk of two-big lineups and Davis playing more at power forward, the Lakers still started him at center — in a game James didn’t play. Davis played several minutes with Christian Wood, but it seems like the Lakers are planning for those stints to come in the middle portion of games and not as a foundation of the rotation.
Davis’ 3-point resurgence
One of the biggest storylines of camp has been Davis’ jumper, which, by all accounts, is improved and much smoother.
Davis was automatic from deep in pregame warmups, but that only means so much if he isn’t willing to take them in games. He averaged just 1.3 3-point attempts per game last season, his lowest figure since 2014-15.
But Davis, who had 15 points in the game, let it fly against Golden State, attempting a 3 at the beginning of the game (he missed) and then making two early in the second quarter. He shot without hesitation, which is exactly how he should be approaching those looks.
This is the type of quick-strike 3 that Davis hasn’t consistently taken in several years. With Kevon Looney retreating toward the paint in transition, Davis had no one within 15 feet of him by the time he caught the swing pass from Cam Reddish. He should take this shot every time.
Less than a minute later, Davis took and made another one. He trailed the action again, but this time, Vincent hit him immediately and Davis knocked down the uncontested 3 with Looney sagging back near the free-throw line.
Davis has downplayed the narrative that his shot is back. He’s said he didn’t train any differently this past summer, even though Ham and vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka have insisted otherwise.
“It’s no different (from last season),” Davis said. “The way our spacing is, new plays that we implemented, and I was open … that’s really it. I think our guards did a good job of penetrating the defense and finding the right guys. Found me a couple of times, swing, swing, and off a pick. As long as they keep putting pressure on the defense and keep getting downhill, all them types of shots will be open, not just for me but for all our guys.”
Ham doesn’t want Davis attempting a certain number of 3s — former head coach Frank Vogel had set a goal of four attempts per game back in the 2020-21 preseason — but he wants him shooting them when the game calls for it.
“I mean, it’s just a matter of him taking different opportunities and making quick decisions,” Ham said. “It’s not like, ‘OK, I need you to go out here and every time you pop, make a 3.’ Just do what makes sense within the realm of what we’re trying to do on the offensive end. If it calls for a post-up, if it calls for a short roll, if it calls for a pick-and-pop 3, then do that. If it calls for you putting the ball on the floor and breaking the defender down off the dribble, do that. We don’t want to put a specific number on it or put a particular part of his game in a box or at the forefront. It’s just about making wise basketball decisions. And he’s multifaceted, so he does a great job at reading the situation.
“Now it’s just a matter of it being second nature for him to just expand his game beyond the 3-point line. And, obviously, continue to do what he’s doing inside the 3-point line.”
D’Angelo Russell’s playmaking shines
Russell was awesome in the first half, reminding his growing number of skeptics of his regular-season offensive value, particularly when James and Reaves are off the floor. He ran the offense brilliantly and struck the right balance between looking for his own shot and finding his teammates. He finished with 15 points and five assists.
Three consecutive possessions midway through the second quarter highlighted Russell’s impact. He scored on a runner, fed Jaxson Hayes a lob pass for a lay-in out of a pick-and-roll and found Vanderbilt in the right corner for a 3-pointer on a skip pass.
Here’s Russell’s alley-oop to Hayes. Watch as he manipulateed the defense with his hesitation dribble — Andrew Wiggins and Looney are a stout pick-and-roll tandem defensively — and then head-faked a backward pass before zipping a lob right over Looney’s head. Hayes, an uber-athlete that all of the guards are excited to play with, finished with ease.
“DLo did a great job of being methodical in our middle pick-and-roll,” Ham said. “Jaxson, he’s a natural-born livewire. Constantly looking to get hits and get his teammates open. And also, after the hit, really going downhill with force toward the rim. So they looked good together in the pick-and-roll.”
On the next possession, Russell grabbed the rebound and pushed toward the paint. He saw Wiggins cheating off of Vanderbilt in the corner and lasered a skip pass once Wiggins took a few additional steps and was too far to recover back. Vanderbilt, who works on his corner 3s after every practice, made his second from downtown of the game.
Concerns about Russell’s playoff viability will remain until he disproves them. But that’s months away. For now, he remains a highly useful shooter and playmaker that will keep LA’s offense afloat whenever James and/or Reaves is off the floor.
First impressions of the newcomers were mixed
Vincent scored seven points, drilling 27-foot and 29-foot 3s, and dished four assists, showing that his transition into the Lakers’ offense should be rather seamless. Hayes had five points and three assists, and was energetic and active in the paint. He’s a dangerous rim-runner and roller.
“That’s what he brings to our team, protecting the rim, the ability to be a lob threat,” Davis said of Hayes. “Throw it up there and he can go get it. Finish around the rim, set good screens, that’s what we’re going to need from him. His ability to catch lobs, you know, he attracts a lot of eyes. Now, without him knowing it, he’s making a play for someone else even though he’s not getting the ball.
“Now, we’re able to get guys open 3s or the guards might be able to get a layup because the bigs go back to him because they’re scared of a dunk. Or he’ll be able to get behind and a couple of finishes. He’s going to be a big component for our team.”
Jalen Hood-Schifino flashed some of the offensive repertoire that earned him praise in camp, but he also looked like an out-of-control rookie for large stretches. The talent is clearly there, but he’s still raw and needs time to develop.
It was a rough debut for Wood, Prince and Cam Reddish, to say the least.
Wood’s length is a factor defensively — he had a steal and a block — but there were possessions in which he seemed completely lost defensively. He also missed six of his eight shots and appeared rather slow and out of game shape. Prince racked up five fouls in his first eight minutes and fouled out in 13 minutes. He was routinely beaten off the dribble and physically overmatched in the paint. Reddish was ineffective offensively (0-for-4 shooting, three turnovers), air-balling a 3-pointer, clanking another one badly and too often seeking his own shot. He had some solid defensive plays, but he didn’t look like a rotation-caliber player. He sprained his ankle late in the game and did not return.
Christie is ready for a bigger role
Christie was the first Laker off the bench, signaling that Ham believes Christie is ready to assume a rotation role. He picked up where he left off in summer league, looking like a player primed for a breakout in his sophomore season.
“I just feel a lot more confident and a lot more comfortable out there,” Christie said.
Christie scored 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting in 25 minutes, including 2-for-4 on 3s. The shot creation he displayed at summer league is on track to translate at the NBA level.
Take this sequence early in the third quarter: Christie beat Warriors rookie guard Brandin Podziemski, who played an impressive game defensively, to the rim for a contested finish. Christie’s footwork and timing allowed him to leverage his superior size in the paint.
This is the type of move Christie should be able to consistently make against bench defenses.
“Just encouraging him to be more aggressive,” Ham said. “He’s a guy that can be one of our most versatile basketball players on the roster. He can guard multiple positions, from the 1 to the 3 and some 4s. I want him to be aggressive in that manner and take on those challenges. And then offensively, the same thing. He can catch and shoot with the best of them. And I want him to be comfortable shooting that 3. And also playing downhill, playing to the paint, playing to the rim. So it was good to see him get out there and get some reps as well.”
Though 12 of the Lakers’ 14 players are under 30, most are known commodities. Christie is one of the few with untapped potential. He’s earned rave reviews in camp and has gained the trust of his teammates, as well as the coaching staff.
“His ability to score, toughness, defends. He does it all,” Davis said. “Ultimate confidence. There are a lot of things you can say about Max. He’s putting it together. He knows where to pick his spots on the floor, where he’s going to score, where to make the right plays. And just being aggressive. We’re going to need that from him at some point this season.”
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I missed the game, was Wood already pouting for touches?
- 92,708
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- 92,708
- 128,936
One play stood out in the second half, he was posting someone up, felt he got fouled and slouched on the way up the floor when the Warriors got the turnover. Think he'll need Bron or D'Lo next to him so he doesn't iso so much.
Can tell he's a bit out of shape too. Guessing he didn't work out hard as a precaution since he was a free agent.
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Lakers really letting it fly from three so far. Bodes well because this team needs to up their attempts to increase the scoring potential.
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offense looks fire
- 92,708
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Laker playoff legend Lonnie Walker IV. 
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C.Wood x AD lineup look good
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We might have shooters now.
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this offense looks insane also the length on the floor is crazy
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LeVision to close
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This bout to be a fun *** season. Can't wait!
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Seeing AD on the floor with other people above 6'9 
It seems like Darvin is also letting AD cook a lil more outside of the paint, which is gonna be helped if we get consistent shooting
It seems like Darvin is also letting AD cook a lil more outside of the paint, which is gonna be helped if we get consistent shooting
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new guys definitely need time to acclimate with the team but there have been great moments
guys on the team last year look as good as ever
guys on the team last year look as good as ever
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This team...
