With the Los Angeles Lakers having a blend of veterans and prospects, they had to find a balance between health and chemistry during the 2018-19 NBA preseason.
Fortunately for the Lakers, they were able to accomplish both as they finished with a 3-3 record including back-to-back wins against the Golden State Warriors.
As the Lakers improved with each game, head coach Luke Walton believes they showed what they can eventually become.
With Lonzo Ball returning from offseason knee surgery, the Lakers will hope to get off to a strong start to the 2018-19 NBA season, according to Kyle Goon of Orange County Register:
“We think everyone is going to be ready, we just have nagging injuries,” he said Friday before the short-handed Lakers tipped off against the Warriors. “We pushed our guys really hard through this preseason, whether it is quads or hamstrings. We need guys to be healthy.”
Outside of Moritz Wagner who did not play the entire preseason due to a knee injury, there were plenty of positives for the Lakers with eight new players.
As LeBron James remains the best player in the game today, Brandon Ingram showcased he is capable of being the team’s second option. In addition, Josh Hart challenged Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for the team’s starting shooting guard and Kyle Kuzma is learning how to play backup center in small-ball lineups.
Caldwell-Pope, Hart, Ingram, James and Rajon Rondo were among the players held out of the preseason finale, and in some cases due to minor injury. Each is expected to be available to come Thursday.
Want to get your content COMPLETELY AD FREE? Follow us on Apple News!
