After several months of anticipation, the Los Angeles Lakers were back on the floor for preseason action. The Lakers hosted the Phoenix Suns at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, though fans in attendance missed out on several of the regulars who sat out.
LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Gabe Vincent, Marcus Smart, Maxi Kleber and Adou Thiero were all ruled out either due to rest or injury-related issues, leaving head coach JJ Redick with a thin rotation. Redick went with a starting five of Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt and Deandre Ayton versus the Suns’ starting five comprised of most of their actual rotation including Devin Booker.
Los Angeles’ ragtag group of players was no match for a more experienced Phoenix squad as they were blown out 103-81.
Without Doncic or James available, Reaves served as the lead guard but more importantly the Lakers’ best scoring option. Reaves picked up where he left off last season, finding ways to generate points either via field goals or the free throw line.
Reaves looked perfectly comfortable handling the basketball, finding teammates for open shots before taking it upon himself to settle the offense. Even though the Suns targeted most of their defensive efforts toward Reaves, the guard still found ways to create shots for himself in the half court.
Reaves only played 21 minutes, but he led Los Angeles in scoring with 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field to go along with three rebounds and two assists.
Hachimura, the other projected starting five member, didn’t shine quite as bright as Reaves but still looked solid in his limited stint. Hachimura shot poorly from the field, going 3-of-12, but there were moments he was able to generate offense on his own against smaller players in the post.
More importantly, Hachimura flashed better defensive awareness and effort as he got several deflections and racked up two steals. He finished the night with 11 points and three rebounds.
When the game was well out of hand, RJ Davis had a chance to prove he belongs in the NBA and he made a strong impression. Davis was actually the second-leading scorer on the Lakers with 14 points, doing so on 5-of-8 shooting and a perfect 3-of-3 from the free throw line.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers will head up the state to the Bay Area to take on the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. Los Angeles then gets a week-long break before playing Golden State again on Sunday, Oct. 12.
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