We’ve arrived at the end of the preseason!
Here is what you need to know before the Lakers play their last exhibition game against the Golden State Warriors:
1) James and Davis will rest
Frank Vogel made sure to give both LeBron James and Anthony Davis plenty of run during Wednesday night’s matchup in what will be their last game of this preseason.
Both seem clearly ready for Tuesday, as AD fell just shy of a triple-double (8 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists) and LBJ dropped 18 points and 11 dimes in 25 minutes.
The duo is already showing great chemistry, and if Wednesday night is any indication, their teammates will get a steady dose of open shots throughout the season.
2) Focus on limiting turnovers
Even on a night when they had 33 assists, the Lakers still finished with 21 turnovers.
Vogel pointed out on Thursday that taking care of the ball is the one aspect he’d like to clean up before Opening Night.
“Less than we’ve done every preseason game,” the head coach mentioned as a target. “If you can have it around 10 or 12, that’s a good ball security night. We haven’t come close to that but we’ll continue to strive for that.”
Vogel said he prefers shot clock-induced giveaways to live turnovers, but he was still extremely impressed by how his players moved the ball on Wednesday.
3) Last chance to make an impression
The team will have to thin out its roster before Tuesday’s game against the Clippers, but before that they’ll take one last look at some of its younger pieces.
Devontae Cacok and Demetrius Jackson had some very solid moments throughout preseason and will look to finish strong, while the recently signed Marcus Allen will likely see some court time as well.
Beyond them, Quinn Cook and Jared Dudley – both limited in preseason due to minor injuries – will try to make up for lost time. Cook had an excellent debut on Wednesday, and his shooting is shaping up to be another dangerous weapon on Vogel’s arsenal.
Injury Report
Lakers: LeBron James (rest), Anthony Davis (rest), Kyle Kuzma (stress reaction left foot), Talen Horton-Tucker (stress reaction right foot), and DeMarcus Cousins (torn left ACL) are out.
Warriors: Klay Thompson (ACL surgery), Willie Cauley-Stein (left foot sprain) and Kevon Looney (hamstring) are out.
Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m. PT
TV: Spectrum SportsNet locally, NBA TV nationally
Radio: 710 ESPN and 1330 Tu Liga
Unis: Gold Icon
Location: Chase Center — San Francisco, California