The preseason slate is coming to a close, though the Los Angeles Lakers have steadily improved through the five games they’ve played so far.
The Lakers wound up dropping another game, though, as they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks but still showed some positive signs of growth and cohesion.
The first half was like the other matchups for Los Angeles as Darvin Ham opted to play his regulars for the first two quarters before sitting them the rest of the night. However, the first half was all Anthony Davis needed to assert his dominance on both ends of the floor.
Without LeBron James and Austin Reaves, Davis once again assumed the responsibility of leading the team and he delivered as he had no problem scoring in a variety of ways against the stout Bucks defense. Davis had his jumper going for him and was also efficient when he got chances to score next to the rim.
In just 19 minutes, the star big man managed to score 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting to go with seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. Davis stuffed the stat sheet and looks poised to be the primary option for Los Angeles in the 2023-24 season.
Like Davis, D’Angelo Russell had another strong showing as the lead ball handler and playmaker. While the assist numbers weren’t there, Russell looked completely in control offensively as he picked his spots wisely and managed to convert on several tough looks.
The guard had 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field as well as one assist and one block.
For the bench, several players had highlight moments most notably Jaxson Hayes who continues to impress with his energy and motor. Hayes was active with his minutes off the bench and got the Crypto.com Arena rocking with several plays.
Hayes rumbled down the lane to throw down a massive dunk over Robin Lopez and later got a block on the big man to really get the crowd excited. The big man was a perfect 2-of-2 from the field and 3-of-3 from the free throw line for seven points, but also contributed six rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
What’s next for Lakers
The purple and gold will have their final preseason game this Thursday against the Phoenix Suns in Palm Springs. Ham has already announced that the first three quarters will be his regular rotation, so fans will get a real preview of what the coaching staff is plotting for the regular season.
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