The Lakers will need more than seven days to figure everything out about who they want to be under new coach JJ Redick.
But in just one week, the exhibitions turn to actual competition, the season opener now in plain sight for the team.
In their fourth preseason game, this one Tuesday in Las Vegas against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers looked like a team with a plan. They didn’t, though, look fully like a team close to executing it.
The Lakers, hellbent on getting up more three-point shots after finishing second to last in attempts last season, all looked eager to launch. But for the third time in four preseason games, the ball careened all over the gym as the team made only 11 of 40 (27.5%) from beyond the arc.
And against the Warriors, even with Klay Thompson now in Dallas, you’re going to need to make shots. Tuesday, in a 111-98 loss, they just rarely did.
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It wasn’t just that, though. The Lakers, after out-possessing Milwaukee in a win against the Bucks last week, didn’t hit the glass with the same intensity as Golden State. And when they did create extra possessions from offensive rebounds, like they did all night, they usually missed.
Anthony Davis continued his momentum from the summer against his Olympic coach, Steve Kerr, making 10of 14 from the field on his way to 24 points. Dalton Knecht, who started the game two for eight , made four shots in the fourth to score 19. LeBron James had just six points in 23 minutes.
Curry had 16 for the Warriors, who were without Brandin Podziemski and De’Anthony Melton.
Austin Reaves, who missed the win against the Bucks, returned Tuesday and played the first half while recovering from a sore ankle.
The Lakers will play Thursday in Phoenix in what could end up being close to a dress rehearsal for the regular season before winding their six-game schedule with one more game away from home — this one in San Francisco against the Warriors on Friday.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
