• The Lakers want their new identity to start with effort on the glass.
  • The problem is that they are still trying to figure out who will actually be on the floor to carry it out.
  • The Lakers have one preseason game left before they debut their brand new roster on Wednesday, Oct.
  • 21, and they still do not know who will settle into the fifth starter spot.
  • Williams has been one of the clearest voices on what the team wants to become on the boards.
  • He said the Lakers need “gang rebounding,” and he added, “Yeah, for sure, it takes all five of us to gang rebound, especially when (Walker Kessler) is not in.” He also said, “we gotta do a better job of wanting it a little bit more.” Those comments land against a blunt statistical backdrop: last season, the Lakers ranked 27th in rebounds per game, 29th in offensive rebounds and 22nd in defensive rebounds.
  • If the Lakers are going to lean into collective play, they still need a lineup that can hold together when the game starts counting.
  • That is why Sexton’s status matters so much.
  • He is listed as questionable because of the lower leg injury, but the reporting around him has been more encouraging than alarming, with the expectation that he should be ready for Opening Night.