Making grand declarations about any NBA team after its first two preseason games usually isn’t the best exercise.
That’s especially the case for the Lakers, who were without multiple key players in their first two exhibitions: Friday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns and Sunday’s defeat to the Golden State Warriors.
Star players Luka Doncic and LeBron James didn’t suit up in either preseason games.
Neither did key free agent addition Marcus Smart, Maxi Kleber and rookie Adou Thiero. Austin Reaves sat out the game against the Warriors, while Gabe Vincent sat out against the Suns.
Despite 96 minutes of basketball featuring short-handed versions of the Lakers’ roster, a few lessons were already learned.
Here are three takeaways from the weekend:
PRE-INJURY VANDERBILT
One of the more significant talking points coming out of training camp was Coach JJ Redick saying he felt like the team had the “pre-injury version” of forward Jarred Vanderbilt.
Vanderbilt, 26, has been one of the Lakers’ best defenders since the team acquired him ahead of the 2023 trade deadline.
But injuries limited him for the past two offseasons and regular seasons – 65 regular-season games played over the last two seasons because of foot ailments that led to surgery on both feet during the 2024 offseason, which affected his athleticism and impact during the 2024-25 season.
Through two preseason games, Vanderbilt’s play has lined up with Redick’s comments.
The 6-foot-8, 228-pound Vanderbilt has reemerged as a chaos agent as a point-of-attack defender, suffocating opposing ball-handlers similar to how he did before the foot ailments.
He also showed improved offensive craft as a finisher in the matchup against the Warriors, a game that saw him score nine points on 4-of-8 shooting and make a 3-pointer to go along with seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in 21 minutes.
AYTON’S BUY-IN
Deandre Ayton, the No. 1 pick from the 2018 NBA Draft who is the Lakers’ marquee free agent signing and will be the team’s starting center, has made it clear that he’s not concerned with his counting stats.
And that he wanted to show he’s more eager with his commitment to the defensive end of the court than his offensive numbers.
His play through two preseason games has backed that up, with the 7-footer averaging more rebounds (7.5) than shot attempts (five).
The Lakers have also benefitted from Ayton’s presence at the rim.
Ayton’s four blocked shots through two games don’t fully encapsulate the impact he’s had so far for the Lakers on the interior, with players from the Suns and Warriors hesitating to take shots near the rim when Ayton has been around.
One of the biggest changes with Ayton on the roster has been the Lakers switching less and having Ayton in a drop defensively.
Redick, citing the athleticism and mobility of his big man rotation, said after Sunday’s game that he wants Ayton, Jaxson Hayes and two-way center Christian Koloko more at the level of screens and not dropping back as deep.
DEFENSIVE WOES
The defensive end of the floor was already a concern with the Lakers’ roster construction, and the pair of preseason games didn’t do anything to alleviate the concerns despite solid individual play from a few players.
The Lakers’ lack of perimeter athleticism was exploited multiple times over the weekend. And their collective screen navigation has been troublesome.
But their transition defense – a longstanding concern for the Lakers – was the most concerning.
Redick, who has harped on his players being in “championship shape,” wants his team to crash the offensive glass while also consistently getting back defensively.
They’ve been more successful with the former, but the latter has significant room for improvement.