Here is what you need to know before the Lakers open up preseason with a matchup against the Sacramento Kings.
1)
In the Lakers’ last practice before their preseason opener, head coach Luke Walton stated that, unlike in the regular season, the game plan won’t be centered around winning. Instead, he intends to limit all of his players to fewer than 30 minutes on the floor. Walton will seek to find certain lineups that work well together, including a small-ball five and a bigger combination that is able to switch positions defensively.
2)
Both teams invested heavily in their longterm future over the offseason. The Lakers, of course, drafted Brandon Ingram with the No. 2 overall pick, joining fellow lottery selections D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle. On the other side, Sacramento acquired three first-round picks, used on Georgios Papagiannis (13), Malachi Richardson (22) and Skal Labissiere (28).
3)
With this game, the Lakers will have traveled to their third city in as many days. The purple and gold returned to their El Segundo headquarters on Monday after spending the previous week in Santa Barbara for training camp. The Lakers currently have 20 players on their camp roster, but will need to cut five before the regular season opener at Staples Center on Oct. 26.
4)
One of Walton’s longtime teammates will potentially play a large role for the Kings in the regular season. Jordan Farmar won a pair of championships on the Lakers alongside Walton in 2009 and 2010. Since then, he has bounced between the NBA, Turkey and Israel. Currently with Sacramento, he has a shot at being the starting point guard on opening night since Darren Collison will be serving an eight-game suspension due to a domestic violence incident.
5)
This game will take place at Honda Center in Anaheim, where the Lakers have played at least one preseason contest in 16 consecutive non-lockout seasons. As for games that actually counted, the Lakers took on the Clippers in Anaheim three times in the late 1990s, winning twice as the road team.
Tip-off: 7 p.m. PT
TV: Spectrum SportsNet and Spectrum Deportes
Radio: 710 ESPN and 1330 KWKW