The Lakers’ preseason is already showing two different tracks at once: the stars are being managed, and everyone else is being asked to prove something.
That split was on display Tuesday against the Warriors, when Luka Doncic was among the Lakers players who weren’t available. The night before, the same team had opened the preseason by forcing 27 turnovers in a win over the Kings, the first time the Lakers had reached that number since 2000. Between those two games, the evaluation shifted from established names to the rest of the roster.
JJ Redick said after the preseason opener that the roster fits together for the first time in his tenure. He also liked what he saw in the way the Lakers played the Kings: full-court pressure, turnovers, and quick transition chances. The team picked up full court and created turnovers, then got out in transition to cruise to an easy victory.
Ziaire Williams was one of the players carrying that defensive tone. Against Sacramento, he picked up guards full court and hounded them defensively, exactly the kind of work the coaching staff has asked for from him and the other wings.
“From Day 1 of camp, it was all about setting the tone, picking up full, being the more physical team,” Williams said.
He added that the staff wants him and the other wings to set the tone defensively, and he doesn’t want to be the one who stands out for the wrong reasons.
“You don’t want to be the only guy out there that’s not being physical, picking up full, not being a pest,” Williams said.
Williams also described Doncic as one of the greatest players in the world, and said, “It’s special. I’ve always been on the other side of it. It feels good to be on his side, for sure.”
That star presence was missing against Golden State, but the Lakers still had to sort through what the rest of the group could offer. They started Bronny James, Quentin Grimes, Adou Thiero, Jake LaRavia and Sandro Mamukelashvili. The result was a 124-98 loss, with the Lakers down 21 by the end of the third quarter.
For some of the younger players, the night was less about the final score than about getting through a first real NBA preseason test. Cameron Carr admitted he was nervous before his debut, then scored 19 points in his first career NBA preseason game against the Kings on 7-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-7 from three. He also added three rebounds, two assists and two steals.
“It’s fun to get to compete with my guys,” Carr said.
Carr followed that with five points against the Warriors. His college numbers at Baylor — 60.2% on two-pointers and 37.4% from beyond the arc last season — help explain why the Lakers are giving him a look, but the preseason is still the stage where he has to show it against NBA competition.
The Lakers’ next chance to do that comes Thursday against the Kings, another game that will ask the same question in a different way: what can this team actually learn when the stars are being protected and the rest of the roster is being sorted out in real time?