Lakers vs. Kings Preseason Game: The Snyder Cut
Although the Lakers lost to the Kings in their preseason opener, I think we can use this game as a lesson moving forward. All around, I believe the Lakers had a pretty good start to this game, coming out playing electric on both ends of the floor.
We got to see LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis play a decent number of minutes together, something I'm looking forward to this season. In the limited minutes, I was impressed with both Davis and Russ on both ends of the floor. For James, let's just say he's still warming up after finishing this game without hitting a field goal.
After watching this game, I learned five things about this squad that could make or break the Los Angeles Lakers going into the regular season.
Russell Westbrook
Overall, I was very impressed with Westbrook's performance in the minutes he was given tonight. He ended the game with five points on 66-percent shooting from the field while also tagging along two rebounds and three assists.
On the first play of the game, we got to see an aggressive Westbrook attack the rim and finish with contact, something he struggled with last season. I think Westbrook looks a lot more intentional with his drives to the basket and his decision-making process when being a facilitator on the floor.
Although Westbrook only finished the game with five points, we must remember that he played a limited number of minutes. If we can get a full game of Westbrook playing efficiently on both ends of the floor like he was tonight, Lakers fans are in for a show this season.
Anthony Davis
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It's not a secret that Lakers fans are expecting a big season out of Davis this year after battling countless injuries the last few seasons. However, just like any player coming off an injury, you could tell that Davis was a little rusty on both ends of the floor. Tonight, Davis finished the game with 11 points shooting 44 percent from the field and 50 percent from three.
One thing I was impressed with was Davis's improved shooting form. His shots, especially from three, looked much more natural compared to last season. Davis also had a good game on the glass, finishing with 11 boards in 15 minutes. Overall, I was impressed with Davis's performance tonight. My biggest thing is keeping an eye on how he recovers going into the next game. If the Lakers want to win a championship, it starts with Davis being healthy and producing on both ends of the floor.
Attacking The Defensive Glass
A common theme I saw from this Lakers team tonight was giving up second-chance points due to the lack of rebounding on the defensive end of the floor. It was frustrating to watch this team have a great defensive play, only to allow the Kings to get an offensive rebound and score an easy bucket. There was even a play in the third quarter where the Lakers gave the Kings three offensive rebounds in one possession.
Forming good habits start right here. Right now, in the preseason and going into the next game, I expect coach Darvin Ham to emphasize the importance of limiting second chance opportunities.
Also, on an added note, I think the Lakers had a lot of struggles on pick-and-roll defense. I feel like there were a lot of miscommunications, which is expected with a new team playing in a new system. I am looking forward to seeing if the Lakers can use this game as an example and fix these problems before we get to the regular season.
Lonnie Walker And Dennis Schröder
After watching the Lakers' second unit tonight, there were times when I felt like they were missing a solid go-to scoring option. While I believe Austin Reaves should take up this role, two other players come to mind, Dennis Schröder and Lonnie Walker.
Schröder and Walker are two guys that will be X-factors for this Lakers squad coming off the bench. These two guys can create their own offense and work well in off-ball situations. Tonight, I feel like a lot of guys were stagnant on the offensive end, waiting for plays to develop. So for me, I think it's important for these two to become good rotational players for this Lakers squad for this team to compete at a high level this year.
There are a lot of deep teams in the NBA, and as Shaq always says, to win championships, "the others have to perform." I am also keeping an eye on Reaves to have a more aggressive game against the Suns on Wednesday after shooting an underwhelming 1-for-5 from the field.
Cole Swider
I was very impressed with Cole Swider and his confidence shooting the ball in his first NBA action. His fist shot was a contested three from the wing, and to no surprise, just like in summer league, it went down. Tonight, Swider finished the game with 10 points, and two made threes, shooting 50 percent from behind the arc.
The only downside to me was that he had to work hard for many of his shots. One thing I look forward to seeing is the Lakers implementing Swider in more lineups that feature avid playmakers like James and Westbrook. I feel like Swider could mesh well with those guys and become an effective floor-spacing wing for this Lakers team this season.
As Lakers fans, it goes without saying that an overreaction to one preseason game is unnecessary. We must remember that we are playing with not only a new roster but a new head coach. The preseason is a time for us to learn and build more on-court chemistry, which is exactly what this team will do.
Going into Wednesday's game against the Suns, I expect the Lakers to compete harder and get our first preseason win. I look forward to seeing if the Lakers improve upon some of the things I noticed from Monday's game.
