Which Laker impressed the most during the preseason?
After a preseason full of storylines and memorable moments, who stood out the most for the Lakers?
It was an eventful preseason for the Lakers that featured lots of road trips, the emergence of a new fan favorite in Quincy Olivari and some answers to the questions that existed with JJ Redick.
We also were presented with plenty of questions from you guys. Let’s dive into our preseason mailbag!
We will have a bigger article on this on Monday, but if I was picking one of each, I’d start by saying it’d be hard to argue just about anyone other than Dalton Knecht for most impressive.
While he came in with some expectations and excitement, he has pretty quickly solidified that he’s a bonafide NBA player and will need minutes sooner than later.
On the flip side, D’Angelo Russell didn’t exactly light the world on fire, despite his own evaluations. I worry little about him as he’s a veteran who has had his fair share of preseasons, so I trust that he knows how to ease himself into the season.
But he entered training camp very excited about what life under JJ Redick would look like. He then shot 36.5% from the field and 24% from the 3-point line. A fast start would do him well over the next week or so.
I think the answer to this is pretty clearly Austin Reaves because he’s already been that. Starting in Memphis in the playoffs and continuing into games last season, LeBron James and Anthony Davis have trusted Reaves in the big moments.
I also think this is the case because Russell has such a high variance in his impact in games based entirely on if his shot is falling or not. Reaves can still be an impactful player even when his shot isn’t falling.
But if the question is about being a reliable crunch-time shot-maker, it’s clearly Reaves for me. Don’t be surprised if Max Christie sneaks into that conversation, either. I could see him closing a number of games this year because of his defense.
This is in response to LeBron’s recent comments — and comments during and after the Olympics — about playing with Steph Curry.
I don’t think the two ideas are mutually exclusive. When you’re battling someone year in and year out at the biggest stage of the game for an NBA title, you’re not going to be buddy-buddy about it. They’re an obstacle for you to overcome.
But when those years have passed and the battles are done and you reminisce about it, you appreciate them and how special they were. Especially when it’s two greats of a generation and the game as a whole.
They’ve moved into a different stage of their career. They’ve accomplished lots, won titles against not each other since their run of Finals meetings and can look back with a different perspective.
Well, a couple things to clear out some of those eight names listed. First, LeBron and Rui are just going to get minutes. That’s about 25-30 minutes for Rui and 30-35 for LeBron. But a good chunk of each of their minutes will come at the four, so it’s not exactly cut and dry.
Vincent is a point guard, so I’m not putting him in this debate. Maxwell Lewis is far away from any meaningful minutes. So, that leaves you Austin Reaves, Cam Reddish, Dalton Knecht and Max Christie.
Right now, Reddish is the odd man out. There isn’t an argument to play him over younger players. Reaves is the starter, Christie is the backup and, until Jarred Vanderbilt returns, Knecht is getting the remaining minutes at the 2-3.
Split the remaining minutes available at the two and three between Reaves, Christie and Knecht. D’Angelo Russell and Vincent are your point guards.
I realize this was asked before the latest report over the weekend. What I would also clarify is that the Lakers definitely signed Christian Koloko knowing that it would take some time to get him cleared. They didn’t go into this blind nor are they surprised by how this is playing out.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.