The Lakers have spent the first stretch of preseason trying to answer a simple question with an increasingly complicated roster: what does this group look like when everyone is actually on the floor?
They moved to 2-1 on Thursday night with a win over the Sacramento Kings, but the result came with the same caveat that has followed much of their exhibition schedule. Austin Reaves finally made his preseason debut, while Walker Kessler remained out with the finger injury that has kept him from playing at all.
That split matters because it leaves JJ Redick with only partial information. He has seen enough to like where the Lakers are through three preseason games, but not enough to evaluate them under normal conditions. That is why he has been pushing for one game with the roster closer to full strength before the regular season begins.
“Would love to get some news on some people in the next few days and be able to see what it could look like at full strength, at least in one of these games,” Redick said. “Just build that rhythm with each other.”
Kessler is the biggest unresolved piece in that picture. He has missed the Lakers’ first three preseason games after jamming his finger on the backboard during training camp, and he still does not have a firm return date. Asked when he might be back on the court, Kessler said, “I’m not sure yet.”
He added a more optimistic note about the injury itself: “Finger’s good. Finger’s good.”
Redick has downplayed the concern as well, saying Kessler’s injury is not worrisome and that he will play in the preseason. Even so, the center’s absence has left the Lakers without one of the players they are trying to integrate before Oct. 21, when they host the Warriors in the regular-season opener.
Reaves’ return at least gave the Lakers one important piece back. He had missed the first two preseason games after hurting his ankle in practice, then came off the sideline Thursday and finished with eight points, five rebounds, eight assists and one steal in 25 minutes against Sacramento.
That debut was a useful step, but it also underscored how staggered the Lakers’ preparation has been. One key player is finally entering the preseason while another is still waiting to rejoin it, and Redick is still trying to get one game that resembles the lineup he hopes to use when the games start counting.
The Lakers have two preseason games left after Thursday: Tuesday against the Warriors in Las Vegas and Oct. 16 against the Nuggets in Los Angeles. Those are the last chances to see whether the team can get that cleaner look Redick keeps asking for.
For now, the evaluation remains incomplete. Reaves is back. Kessler is still out. And the Lakers are still waiting for the one preseason game that lets them see the whole picture at once.