Lakers basketball is finally back. The purple and gold tip off their preseason
slate in Anaheim on Saturday, ending a five-month wait to hit the court.
With so many new faces on the squad, there are some big questions looking to be
answered in the exhibition opener.
How will Lonzo look? All eyes will be on Lonzo Ball for his preseason debut, as
the 19-year-old takes his eye-popping passing ability to Anaheim.
Ball dominated at Summer League, breaking the event’s assists record and
recording two triple-doubles en route to MVP honors. But this will be his first
time matching up against the grown men of the NBA.
However, Ball is heading into the preseason opener with plenty of momentum,
having led his teams to a 6-0 record during the Lakers’ training-camp
scrimmages.
Expect a lot of transition play in this exhibition opener, which means plenty of
chances for Ball to show off on the fast break.
Day 3 #LakeShow
A post shared by Lakers Scene (@lakersscene) on Sep 28, 2017 at 9:55pm PDT
Who will start at center? Brook Lopez (back spasms) and Andrew Bogut (visa
issues) are both ruled out for Saturday’s game, leaving the Lakers with a hole
at the five.
Head coach Luke Walton has two options: Go 7-footer big or power forward small.
Sophomore Ivica Zubac started 11 games for the Lakers last year and, like Lopez
and Bogut, is a true center. However, Walton might decide to experiment in
preseason by starting a small-ball lineup.
The combination of Julius Randle and Larry Nance Jr. is an intriguing one that
could pair nicely with Ball’s skill set.
While neither power forward offers as much spacing as Lopez, Walton considers
them the fastest fours in the league, which means they have a better shot of
keeping up with Ball’s “no such thing as too fast” style of play.
More hard work out of @juliusrandle30 today
A post shared by Los Angeles Lakers (@lakers) on Sep 29, 2017 at 6:32pm PDT
How sloppy will this be? Walton isn’t expecting a textbook display of basketball
from his players, who have only been practicing for four days.
In fact, the head coach claimed that the team hasn’t had time to put in any of
its half-court offense, though it has worked on its transition and secondary
offense.
On the other side, the Timberwolves — boasting Jimmy Butler, Karl-Anthony
Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Jeff Teague — have a new crew that they’re trying to
mesh together, so there are likely to be some unsightly stretches on both ends.
Still, some sloppiness actually might be a benefit for Lonzo, who thrives in
chaotic situations by seeing the play develop in advance and making the play
that no one sees coming.
Finishing practice with some halfcourt 5-on-5 pic.twitter.com/tNdD3G4vji
Tip-Off: 7 p.m. PT TV: Spectrum SportsNet and Spectrum Deportes in L.A. NBA TV
nationally.
Player: Lonzo Ball
Media Content: http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/170930-lakers-wolves-preview
Media Keywords: NBA, Sports, Los Angeles Lakers, Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers
Media Thumbnail:
http://i.cdn.turner.com/drp/nba/lakers/sites/default/files/170930-3qs.jpg
Taxonomy: Training Camp 2017
Story Link: http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/170930-lakers-wolves-preview
