The Los Angeles Lakers have played four preseason games thus far and while the team has a 1-3 record, there have been plenty of positive takeaways. This team is far from perfect and there are still some issues that need to be addressed but overall, fans are feeling positive about LA heading into the season.
A big reason why fans are feeling optimistic is the play from certain players on the roster. There have been some standout players through four preseason games that have taken this chance to light the world on fire and hopefully propel them into a red-hot regular season.
We’ve already broken down the players that have disappointed thus far in the preseason. Now, it is time to look at the other side of that coin and go down a more positive route.
3 Lakers who have been lighting the world on fire in the preseason:
1. Kendrick Nunn
There hasn’t been anyone better on the Lakers than Kendrick Nunn during the preseason. Anthony Davis has played really well in the games that he has played but consistently, Nunn has been the most exciting thing about all of these preseason games.
This is a welcome sign after Nunn did not even play for the team last season. Nunn was viewed as a great value signing before the 2021-22 season but never suited up due to injury. All that time away has lit a fire under the guard, who looks like he could be the team’s third main scorer in front of Russell Westbrook.
Nunn is averaging 17 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists in 21.5 minutes per game. Obviously, the scoring numbers will go slightly down in the regular season but if he can score 15-16 points in 24-26 minutes per game in the regular season then that will be massive.
What has been so encouraging is Nunn’s three-point shooting. Nunn is shooting 60.6% from the field, which is fueled by his 52.9% three-point rate in 5.7 attempts per game. He obviously is not going to shoot that well consistently in the regular season but for a team that has little to no shooting, this kind of performance is fantastic.
2. Matt Ryan
The Los Angeles Lakers signed Matt Ryan right before training camp started and it did not seem like that big of a deal. However, we here at Lake Show Life told our readers that it was an exciting signing for Lakers fans and that is exactly what it has been thus far: exciting.
Ryan came to the Lakers with no real NBA experience but had some eye-popping numbers in the G League that cannot be ignored. While the level of competition is not the same, it is impossible to not be impressed by the fact that Ryan shot 40% from three last season on over nine attempts per game.
The only players to do that in NBA history are Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard. Comparing Ryan to those two is obviously ridiculous, but it showcases just how good he is at shooting the basketball.
That has translated to the preseason as Ryan has been the team’s best three-point shooter outside of Nunn. Ryan has been so good, in fact, that LeBron James openly petitioned for the Lakers to sign him to a standard contract during the team’s game against the Warriors.
The inverse of Ryan playing so well has been the fact that Cole Swider has not been as good as expected. However, Swider is at least on a two-way deal, so he can stick around with the team and be elevated when they need him.
Ryan does not have that luxury, and thus, probably earned himself an NBA contract from the purple and gold.
3. Lonnie Walker IV
Lonnie Walker IV needed to have a good preseason with the Los Angeles Lakers. With all of the moves that the Lakers ended up making this offseason, signing Walker to the TPMLE seemed like a bad move in hindsight. The team could have used those funds on other areas of the roster, not on someone who has not lived up to his potential in the league.
The Lakers obviously were not going to sit Walker because of this but Walker quickly could have lost favor with the fanbase if he did not play well. Luckily for Walker, he has taken this opportunity in the preseason to show his versatility on the court and prove the Lakers right.
Granted, he has to continue to do this throughout the season as preseason play becomes a moot point as soon as the games actually matter. But for the time being, this is a really positive sign.
The three-point shooting has not been there for Walker, who is shooting just over 30% from beyond the arc, but that is the only weakness in his game thus far. Walker has showcased a playmaking ability that is a bit surprising. Not only is he creating looks for teammates but he has been creating his own shot as well.
Walker has shown a lot of effort on the defensive end, which is going to be the big difference in his game. Even if he is not shooting well from three, if Walker can create his own shot and facilitate the basketball he is going to get playing time if he plays well on defense.
Draymond Green wants to join the Lakers (per Stephen A. Smith)
After all of the drama that has surrounded Draymond Green in recent days, Stephen A. Smith claims that he wants to ultimately join the Lakers.
He has the physical traits to be really good on the defensive end, he just has to better utilize them. Thus far, he has done just that.