Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Lessons from final preseason loss to Golden State Warriors
By Ronald Agers
The Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up the 2019 NBA Preseason against the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.
The Los Angeles Lakers played the Golden State Warriors for the fourth time and last time in the preseason before playing the Clippers on Tuesday. No LeBron James, Anthony Davis, JaVale McGee or Dwight Howard on the backline opened up a chance for the Warriors.
The Lakers lost the game but left with what they truly desired going into the regular season. Outside of one rotation player, no further injuries to the stars.
The Los Angeles Lakers closed out the preseason splitting their six games and now look forward to a journey that fans have been waiting in anticipation for since Kobe Bryant had two healthy Achilles tendons.
On Tuesday, the Lakers finally play someone other than the Golden State Warriors, whose four scheduled games were sandwiched around the interesting back to back games in China against the Brooklyn Nets.
The Los Angeles Lakers obviously had a plan in this game. To get through it without any injuries to rotation players. Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Danny Green, Avery Bradley, the entire Lake Show Life staff and all of its readers seemingly, sat out of this game. In all seriousness, eight players sat out the game for rest.
Well, the Lakers almost got out of the game without injuries. Alex Caruso fell hard on his back laying the ball up and left the game for good in the first quarter.
Alex Caruso has a bone contusion, pelvis; X-rays were negative. He will not return tonight, and will undergo additional testing when the team returns to L.A.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) October 19, 2019
There are no doctors on the Lake Show Life staff, but luckily there was one on Twitter that could break down the injury a little bit further for now.
X-ray negative means no fractures. Team will likely use additional testing for check for bone bruise (aka microtrabecular fracture) https://t.co/tcXc3qaEYh
— Dr. Rajpal Brar, DPT (@3cbPerformance) October 19, 2019
According to reports like these, it looks like Caruso is day-to-day. Hopefully, he can get back to the lineup by opening night or soon after. The resting of the starters which included the frontcourt that gave the Warriors fits for the first three games finally gave them room to operate. The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Warriors 124-103 in their preseason finale at the Chase Center.
This game was basically an audition for players at the end of the roster to get seen before they get cut or go to South Bay. What really matters is Tuesday’s game against the NBA title favorite to many, the Clippers. What matters is the mission to end a franchise-record six-year playoff drought.
Hopefully, Lakers fans have learned from last year that there is no such thing as a guaranteed playoff spot. Nothing is a sure thing in the Western Conference. Ask the New Orleans Pelicans who just lost Zion Williamson for a few weeks.
Regardless, this team featuring James and Davis will provide plenty of excitement and hope this season. The Lakers have on their roster arguably two of the top-5 players in the NBA and the best at their respective positions. During the preseason when these two were on the floor, the Lakers outscored their opponents by 31 points.
Will there be drama? Sure, it’s the Lakers with LeBron James. But as long as there are no injuries to these two, the Lakers should advance to the postseason for the first time since 2013. Their current drought is now tied for the third-longest active postseason drought in the NBA. The franchise is due.
But the preseason can’t end without Lake Show Life lessons right? That cool with you LeBron?
https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1185423018111012864
Cool. Let’s get started.