The 2023-24 preseason is over for the Los Angeles Lakers, as they faced the Phoenix Suns on Thursday in their final game of the exhibition schedule. Their starters and regular rotation reserves played throughout the first half and a good part of the third quarter. In some ways, they looked sharp and productive.
Los Angeles had trouble putting the ball in the basket in the first quarter, although its defense kept it in the game. It put up 38 points in the second quarter to take a 58-54 halftime lead before things fell apart shortly afterward.
Head coach Darvin Ham took most of his regulars out midway through the third quarter, other than Rui Hachimura and Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes. That’s when a one-point Lakers lead turned into a 16-point deficit at the end of the quarter. The team never recovered and it lost, 123-100.
Its first regular-season contest will be on the road against the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, Oct. 24.
LeBron James largely looks like his old self
Granted, it was a preseason game and he likely was taking it somewhat easy, but James looks physically spry, as opposed to how he looked in last season’s playoffs when he was dealing with the aftereffects of a right foot injury.
In 22 minutes, he shot 50% from the field and scored 19 points to go along with six rebounds and three assists. He also connected on 3-of-5 3-pointers, which is a good sign considering how he struggled from that distance all of last season.
But the most encouraging sign is the fact that when James decided to attack in transition versus Phoenix, he looked a lot like the James of old.
Anthony Davis continues to look like a monster
Davis has been arguably the Lakers’ best player during the preseason, and Thursday’s contest was no exception. He came out with a vengeance on the defensive end, blocking five shots in the first eight minutes of the game, and he finished with six rejections in 23 minutes.
He also found the time to toss in half of his 10 shots, giving him 15 points, although he was just 4-of-7 from the free-throw line. But Davis looks ready to have another amazing season for the Purple and Gold.
Rebounding continues to be a sore spot
At times during the preseason, the Lakers have had issues controlling their defensive backboards. That issue was magnified on Thursday. They gave up 15 offensive rebounds, which led to 18 second-chance points, and were outrebounded by 14 overall.
This is something the Lakers have to rectify quickly, or it could result in a poor start, especially with teams such as the Suns, Nuggets, Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers on their schedule to start the season.
