Lakers at Warriors: Short-handed loss, Grimes’ starting case among observations
Carlos Yakimowich
Host · Writer
The Los Angeles Lakers had a much different group available Tuesday than the one that opened the preseason with a win in Sacramento.
Playing the second night of a back-to-back, the Lakers fell 124-98 to the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. With several key players unavailable, JJ Redick had another opportunity to evaluate combinations and players competing for minutes.
Here are three observations from the Lakers’ second preseason game.
Absences leave the full picture unfinished
Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton, Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle and Arthur Kaluma were unavailable Tuesday. Dončić, Williams and Thybulle joined the four players who also missed Monday’s opener.
Those absences matter when evaluating the loss. Without Dončić and Reaves, the Lakers were missing the two players expected to organize most of their offense. Williams and Thybulle’s absences also removed two defenders who helped establish the pressure in Sacramento.
The Lakers have yet to get a game look at Dončić, Reaves and Kessler together; my prediction is they all make an appearance in Thursday's preseason home opener at Crypto. If I'm wrong, please forget about this.
Until that happens, Redick’s evaluation of the players around them remains incomplete.
Quentin Grimes is making himself difficult to leave out
Grimes has slowly made his case to play alongside Dončić and Reaves in the starting rotation.
He continued to contribute on both ends in San Francisco, finishing with 12 points and three assists. Though less efficient than his 16-point debut on 5-of-7 shooting in Sacramento, Grimes showed he could make an impact creating offense when the Lakers need it with a lot of guys out.
"I think he's a guy, if needed, can create some advantages," Redick said on Grimes. "I think his commitment to the defensive end has been really good throughout camp. And in these first two games we're excited about him."
His case to start goes beyond scoring totals. Next to Dončić and Reaves, the Lakers need someone who can space the floor, defend perimeter players and contribute without needing the offense built around him.
He's done all that so far.
Two exhibitions will not settle Redick’s decision, but Grimes has given him an early reason to keep him alongside the Lakers’ primary creators.
Some of defensive activity carried over
The Lakers recorded 13 steals against Golden State after collecting 15 in their preseason opener against Sacramento.
This also led to the Lakers finishing with 20 fast break points. They have now scored over the 20-point mark in both preseason games, with 24 in the opener.
Even without Williams and Thybulle, L.A. continued finding ways to disrupt possessions. Jarred Vanderbilt and Jake LaRavia contributed three steals each, providing another example of the defensive activity available throughout the roster.
Still, allowing 124 points showed that steals alone do not make a complete defensive performance. The Lakers need to pair their aggression with disciplined positioning and consistent stops.
Through two games, the willingness to create havoc has been evident. Sustaining it without sacrificing defensive organization will be the next test.
