Entering the final week of preseason games, Lakers coach JJ Redick is still unsure when he’ll get a full look at his new-look team.
Lingering injuries to center Walker Kessler (finger) and guard Collin Sexton (lower leg) are casting doubt on their availability for the Lakers’ fourth preseason game Tuesday in Las Vegas against the Golden State Warriors.
Both offseason additions have yet to make their Lakers preseason debuts. While Kessler participated in practice Saturday after hitting his finger on the backboard, he was not in live drills. Redick said he was “not committed” to having Kessler available Tuesday against the Warriors.
The Lakers invested four first-round picks and a four-year, $130-million contract to get the star center in a sign-and-trade from the Utah Jazz. They’re relying on him to anchor their defense and add a much-desired lob threat for guard Luka Doncic. The Lakers are now getting a preview of what their team would look like in the minutes without Kessler.
“It’s important to have two of the bigger wings out there for rebounding purposes,” said Redick, who added Kessler’s finger injury is minor enough for him to play through if this was the regular season. “That was a concern, I think, coming into the year is like, trying to be a good defensive rebounding team. What does that look like with Walker not on the court? And I think in film, it’s pretty apparent that we need to do a better job of boxing out. Just like simple stuff and gang rebounding.”
The Lakers are 28th in the preseason with 37.7 rebounds per game and gave up 20 offensive rebounds to the Kings on Thursday, their third game of the preseason.
Wings Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams started in the Lakers’ first preseason game and the defensive-minded players flashed their potential by hounding opponents full court. After starring in the preseason opener with 13 points and a steal against the Warriors, Williams missed the last two games with a foot contusion.
Second-year forward Adou Thiero has started instead and has a team-high 11 defensive rebounds during three preseason games. The high-flying wing’s growth this offseason has caught the attention of his teammates who are eager to throw him lobs for dunks and see him sky for rebounds.
“I told him that the second pickup game in Slovenia, what I saw from him, just understanding the game better, reading the game, I think he improved a lot in the summer,” Doncic said.
With Kessler sidelined, the Lakers have alternated Kevon Looney and Sandro Mamukelashvili at center. Looney leads the team with 17 rebounds during the preseason. Mamukelashvili, who plays both power forward and center, has 11 assists in the preseason, showing the type of versatility that has Redick excited to install the team’s “Mamu package” of plays and after-timeout sets.
The lack of depth at center could be a concern for the Lakers during the season, but they’re confident in their perimeter players to set the tone on defense.
“It makes my job a lot easier,” Looney said of the Lakers’ rotation of wings. “As long as I talk early, they’re going to get over the screen. I don’t have to be caught playing two. Those guys are able to recover, they’re able to block shots, they’re able to pop back and get rebounds. As a big when your guards and wings are hustling like that, it makes your job a lot easier.”
Sexton is “probably a little bit further behind” when it comes to returning compared to Kessler, Redick said. The Lakers signed the 27-year-old guard for an extra scoring punch and have missed him as a third ballhandling option to supplement Doncic and Austin Reaves. With the way teams pressure now, Redick said he is aiming to have multiple ballhandlers on the court at all times.
With coaches still tinkering with lineup options in the preseason, turnovers became a problem when the ballhandling options dwindled. The Lakers average the fourth-most turnovers per game (23.7) during the preseason.
Although the Lakers have yet to have all their players available in the preseason, players aren’t lacking confidence. Doncic said he knew the team, which welcomed nine new players during a busy offseason, had championship potential well before training camp even started.
“Since the first day,” Doncic said. “That simple. Since the first day everybody came together in Slovenia … I believed that we can win a championship.”
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