After back-to-back wins, the Lakers will face the Warriors for the second time in the preseason on Friday night. Game tips will be provided on Spectrum SportsNet and 2 at 7:00 PM PT.
Here are three things to know before competing:
Russell in Rhythm
Through three preseason games, the Lakers have had several outstanding games, but D’Angelo Russell may have been the most impressive of them all. In his three games, Russell averaged 16.7 points and 6.3 assists in 19.4 minutes per game with only 1.3 turnovers while shooting 63.3% from the field and 61.5% from three-point range.
Russell scored 21 points in 21 minutes against the Kings on Wednesday, doing a lot of damage in and around the paint by attacking off the dribble and finding opportunities to drive to the rim, while the Kings defense kept him at bay. Forever off balance. Russell also dished out eight assists, adeptly feeding teammates and more traditional passes with equal expertise.
D’Angelo Russell’s preseason highlights 10-11-23
The comfort level Russell has shown bodes well for the upcoming season and is reflective of his tenure in the league and his fit within this group of players. Russell commented after the win over the Kings.
“We have a fun team,” Russell said. “There are a lot of good players out there and I have a lot of fun playing with them and watching them perform well and when things go my way I feel that same energy coming back so I love how well we do as a team. state.”
Deep lineup
The Lakers’ win over the Kings not only showcased Russell’s strength, but also the overall depth of this team and the talent of the entire group.
None of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reeves, Jared Vanderbilt or Cam Reddish played against the Kings, but that didn’t stop others from playing bigger roles role and take those opportunities to showcase their ability to perform when players sit down. go out.
It didn’t matter that Russell was the only retained starter available, the new front five still played extremely well, with three of the other four players scoring in double digits and no player scoring (Jackson Haynes). Yes) still excelled in his role through defense, rebounding, setting good screens and playing with energy – which was reflected in his team-high +14 on the night.
Even outside of the starting lineup, the team is getting strong contributions from multiple players in all aspects, whether it’s Christian Wood’s shot creation and scoring, Max Christie’s defense, Jalen Hood-Ski Fino’s passing is also the team’s overall unity and two-way play. In the final group of rookies, Maxwell Lewis, Dermoy Hodge, Colin Castleton and Alex Fudge were able to hold off against the more established Kings veterans to come out victorious.
This depth is a huge positive for Coach Hamm and should allow him to have multiple options and different teams over the course of the long 82-game regular season.
James’ plan
With three exhibition games remaining and 11 days until the opener in Denver, LeBron’s acceleration plan to get ready for the regular season is well underway.
As training camp begins, James says he aims to play in about half of the team’s six games, and if that holds true, he’ll be on the team against the Warriors, Bucks (Sunday) and Rockets Appeared in two of the last three games. Suns (Wednesday).
There’s no right or wrong way to appear in which games, and there’s an argument to be made for any combination.
Playing against the Warriors and Bucks, for example, could help simulate the regular-season approach of playing two games in three days and give him a longer break to get his body ready for the opener. Games against the Warriors and Suns will give him a few days off before his final exhibition game, which he can use as a springboard into next week’s regular season. Matchups against the Bucks and Suns would give him two games in the opener, potentially treating one of them as a dress rehearsal.
However, whichever path is chosen, it will be well thought out and supported, while also being integrated into a larger plan to manage the entire team’s preparations when the competition kicks off on October 24.
