Los Angeles Lakers open the preseason with a loss to the Brooklyn Nets

The Los Angeles Lakers are back! Well sort of. The Lake Show started their preseason playing Eastern Conference championship contender Brooklyn Nets. The only preseason game on the NBA docket lacked the star power from both teams. Then after Dwight Howard’s situation in the third quarter, the Lakers lacked scoring in the fourth quarter. 

For three quarters, this was a very entertaining game considering there has been no Staples Center action for months. Even though there was no LeBron James and Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis showed off a new chiseled frame built in the offseason.

Then at the 1:22 mark of the third quarter, Dwight Howard fouled out, got a technical foul and a flagrant foul all at the same time. It took 15 minutes for everything to be worked out and then the fourth quarter happened.

The Los Angeles Lakers scored two points up to the 5:22 mark of the final frame as the Brooklyn Nets ran off to a 123-97 win. GUH!

Lake Show Life gives a special shoutout to Chaundee Brown. See, Brooklyn selected him to shoot a free throw during the Howard drama shutdown. He was immediately supposed to be substituted for Cam Oliver. Only Brown had to stay in until the next dead ball.

He started scoring buckets and stayed in. He finished with 10 points on 4-8 shooting.

The good from the Los Angeles Lakers’ loss:

Anthony Davis looked very good!

Forget the fact that he only shot 2-6 in the game for 6 points. Let’s check out what really mattered. Davis looks like he is in the best shape of his NBA career. He’s bulked up and looks confident when he makes his moves which is important considering he came off serious injuries last year. What should be even more exciting to Lakers fans is that AD looks for contact going to the basket by lowering that shoulder.

He missed a few jumpers but that will come when he continues to get comfortable with his muscular frame. Whoever got in his ear about his workout regime (Magic Johnson?) made a serious impact.

Talen Horton-Tucker is going to be a legit rotation player for the Lakers! 

Put him in a pin-down position on offense to get him in the paint and he is unstoppable. When he got downhill, Brooklyn could not stop him. He scored 10 points on 3-11 shooting, but he also contributed 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Sure some bad habits showed up in times during the game, but when the stars get back, he will fit in quite nicely somewhere in the rotation.

Malik Monk!

This writer does not hide biases so get used to this one. Malik Monk that dude. He will be the best pick-up out of the veteran’s minimum list. Trust. Many Lakers fans do not know about this guy due to injuries and off-the-court issues with the Hornets, but mark these words, he will be the most athletic and exciting bench player this year. Yes…this writer said it.

For this game, Monk exploded on the scene in the second quarter scoring 10 points to get Los Angeles back in the game. He knocked down 3 points shots, he played within himself and believe it or not playing better defense than what he showed in Charlotte. He led the Lakers with 15 points.

Nobody got hurt!

Enough said.

The bad from the Los Angeles Lakers’ loss:

The Los Angeles Lakers really need to figure out these slow offensive starts!

Look, LeBron James did not play in this game. Who cares? He played last season when the Lakers had the same problems. AD started the game with a three-point play to start the scoring. Then the Brooklyn Nets rolled out a 17-2 run in the first quarter to claim a double-digit lead. Well, at least the two points the Lake Show scored was sweet courtesy of Talen Horton-Tucker…

The Lakers responded with an 8-0 run of their own to close the first frame at 25-19. But the second quarter was a similar rendition when the Nets ran off a 10-2 run to start the second quarter. Then the see-saw of runs continued when the Lakers tore off an 11-0 run to get the game close at halftime.

This is something that really needs to be cleaned up this season. No LeBron James and Russell Westbrook in this game? Cool. But understand the Nets had no Kyrie Irving, James Harden or that Kevin Durant dude either.

The Lakers got smoked on the offensive boards in the first half!

It was just mentioned that none of the Brooklyn stars played in this game. Why did Brooklyn stay ahead in the first half? Second chance opportunities. The Nets were up at one time 8-1 in offensive rebounds. This is not about talent Lakers fans, this is about effort. The Nets outrebounded the Lakers 54-41.

The centers shooting free throws… 

In other news, the sky is blue and water is wet but DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard will have to start hitting at least half of their free throws. Lake Show Life will make this statement here…the center that shoots better in the regular season will get the minutes behind Anthony Davis at center in the playoffs. Opposing teams will foul these two without question. Jordan shot 5-8 from the line and Howard shot 5-6 in THIS game, but this storyline will be attached to how much AD plays the five spot.

The last quarter…

Brooklyn went on a 24-2 run to start it. Do the math or use your imagination.

The story from the Los Angeles Lakers’ loss:

Okay, the Lakers got smoked…BUT…

These guys are in shape. REALLY IN SHAPE! The leaders have set the blueprint that health is this team’s wealth this year and everyone has bought in. The frontline looks outstanding and can outrun any NBA team’s forward and center combination and no one looked tired on the floor.

Bad perimeter defense!

Eventually, the rotation will be filled out with players that play perimeter defense. It was awful before the last quarter. Cameron Johnson, DeAndre Bembry, Jevon Carter and Bruce Brown each have no business taking their man off the dribble as they did in this game.