Early Takeaways from the Lakers Preseason Games
By Hannah Kulik
2. The Bad
Oct 8, 2015; Ontario, CA, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Terrence Ross (31) guards Los Angeles Lakers forward Nick Young (0) in the second half of the game at Citizens Business Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Despite the positives, there is also evidence of trouble ahead that should temper expectations. The team has developed a culture of losing the last two years, and losing, even in the preseason, can become a habit.
The biggest concern for the Lakers right now should be Russell. Most fans were hoping the Summer League was an aberration, but first impressions may have been accurate as he does not appear to be NBA-ready at age 19.
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Russell resembles Kendall Marshall, another left-hander who had great court vision when he played briefly for the Lakers two years ago. He had a lot of assists and when he was wide open knocked down three point shots at a good clip.
The Lakers ultimately gave up on him because he was not quick enough to get to the rim or create his own shots, and he was too soft to match the intensity of the league’s swift and powerful point guards.
Despite this early assessment, merely by virtue of how high he was drafted, Russell is going to play this year no matter what assuming he stays healthy, which thus far has been an issue.
Right now it is hard to imagine that he is ready to have a major impact and in the end might be better coming off the bench at least to start the season. He needs time to mature physically before anyone will be able to assess his full potential.
To the casual fan, it’s a mystery as to why Ryan Kelly and Robert Sacre are still on the roster, or how they got so much playing time last year.
Wednesday night was a typical performance from Kelly, who played 16 minutes while contributing little, to none, on either end of the floor. Sacre played 15 minutes in the first game and sparingly in the second, but the fact remains he is little more than a good sized body to fill up the lane.
Young looks serious so far, which is a good sign. What is not a good sign is that he still takes unadvised shots, missing more than he makes, and contributes little elsewhere.
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To his credit, Young looked better in the third game, and it is scary to think that he’ll be the team’s starting small forward when Bryant does not play, but currently there is no alternative.
Larry Nance, Jr. received attention this summer when the team drafted him in the first round, which surprised many.
Nance is a high energy player who performed pretty well in the third game, but he has limited offensive skills and may have issues defending the stronger power forwards in the league. It is hard to see him playing more than a few minutes a night once the season starts, if he plays at all.
Anthony Brown has been a huge disappointment so far. The team is in desperate need of three point shooters, which is one of their most serious deficiencies, and Brown was supposed to fill that role. Yet he has been almost invisible in the summer league and preseason.
Anthony Brown will move into the starting lineup tonight.
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 11, 2015
Currently he has been given very little playing time which could reflect what the coaches think of him, and at this point he does not appear to factor into the team’s plans for this season. That said, tonight he is getting the start for the Lakers where he’ll hopefully demonstrate some of his 3-D proficiency.
Michael Frazier III got a good chance to showcase his skills Tuesday night when he played plenty of minutes in the decisive fourth quarter and in overtime. Unfortunately, he looked like he was afraid to shoot and did not contribute much. This was a golden opportunity for Frazier who did not take advantage of it, which does not bode well for his future with the squad.
His primary competition for the final guard spot is Jabari Brown. Brown should have the edge but right now looks like a player who knows he is on the bubble. His shooting is hot and cold, but he is always in attack mode and puts in a good effort on both ends of the court. That said, he looks nervous and less confident than last season.
Next: The Unknowns