Tuesday, October 2, 2018 7:30 PM PDT
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Referees: Bill Kennedy (#55), JT Orr (#72), Derek Richardson (#63)
Replay Center: Eric Lewis
Line: Lakers -2.5
National TV: TNT Local TV: Spectrum SportsNet
GAME PREVIEW: NUGGETS AT LAKERS
by Gabe Zaldivar, forbes.com
I join you in your sudden, severe addiction to preseason Los Angeles Lakers basketball.
Add LeBron James to the mix and previously meaningless exhibition games you pass out in front of as you nurse a midweek beer in your hand suddenly seem compelling.
Thank you, LeBron. We now have a reason to pause our “Ozark” binge session and can now get back to things that matter.
That also means we have another meaningless exhibition game at hand.
Preview
This will be the first of two preseason games being played at the future home of the LeBron-JaVale alley-oop factory.
It’s also the second time in two games the Lakers will face the Nuggets. The LeBron era kicked off on Sunday as the new-look Lakers illustrated how to lose, 124-107, but to do so in an exciting, memorable manner.
The best player in the known universe will suit up for this one. A reasonable expectation is that we will get as many minutes, if not more, out of James.
The Lakers understand that they are still getting to know each other on the court and need time to nurture chemistry.
It was evident on Sunday night that this iteration of the squad is rough around the edges—21 turnovers and 15 assists after you subtract Rajon Rondo’s 11 dimes.
As expected, the Lakers have to answer some questions evident on Sunday. Size down low is an issue when McGee is out of the game. And the Lakers quick pace looked far more frantic than efficient.
Normally, James could kick up his feet for the preseason. But it pays to have him on the floor to figure some of this stuff out before Oct. 18.
Injuries
Lonzo Ball (knee) is still getting thawed out from his offseason knee surgery.
The Lakers clearly have an issue when Rajon Rondo and James are out of the game. If this were the regular season, there would be a need to have another guard to fill in and maintain ball movement and pace. But that’s a problem for another time (later this month). Luke Walton is making the right call here.
Michael Beasley: after suffering what was described as a laceration, Beasley was cleared on Tuesday.
Moe Wagner: Continues to be sidelined with a knee contusion, an injury that negates him playing the rest of the preseason.
What To Watch
Small Ball Rotations: The Lakers might be onto something with small lineups, which is good because they don’t have much in the way of size.
Crisp ball movement develops along with chemistry. Look for improvement, but not much. The mustard will still be off the hot dog in this one.
Defense: The Lakers looked good at times on defense, especially getting out and affecting passes in the lane. Ingram especially illustrated his length in this regard.
Confidence: one of the more underrated issues facing this team is confidence, namely from the young core, in playing next a walking expectation generator like LeBron.
Brandon Ingram seemed to flash the kind of tenacity commensurate with his better games. Svi Mykhailiuk looked like he needed a few minutes to settle into the moment before playing pop-a-shot.
Regardless, Game 2 should be a messy, chaotic good time for the whole family.