Only four of the Los Angeles Lakers’ likely 15 final roster players actually showed up for every preseason game, a brutal reality that has left their new-look squad scrambling to build chemistry when they needed it most. This isn’t just about losing a game, like their 101-89 defeat to the Golden State Warriors on October 13 in Vegas, it’s about the very foundation of their new season.
Big Plans, Good Intentions, But Then What?
When the Lakers decided to completely remake their roster this offseason, everyone knew there would be pressure to build a cohesive unit. Credit where it’s due, the coaching staff and management seemed to get it. They understood this brand new group needed time, reps, and shared experiences to find that chemistry you need for an 82-game grind and beyond. They started strong, too. There was a minicamp in Las Vegas around Summer League, and reports from that were universally positive, with nearly full team representation working hard. Then came the much-hyped trip to Slovenia. That wasn’t just a vacation, it was huge for bonding, learning about each other on and off the court, and importantly, reorienting the leadership around Luka for the first time since his trade 18 months ago. All of this was supposed to build momentum straight into the regular season.
Preseason Woes Leave a Giant Hole
But man, did things ever go sideways once training camp started. Instead of capitalizing on all that early team-building, what happened was a “frustratingly disjointed camp.” Conservative injury management, which is a choice, totally wrecked player availability. Guys were held back from practices, games, or both, and it choked off the one thing this brand new roster desperately needed: on-court reps together. Think about it: they wanted this new crew to jell, but after starting camp fairly strong, “several established and potential rotation players were increasingly held back.” The proof is right there: of their projected 15 roster spots, only Quentin Grimes, Jake LaRavia, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Kevon Looney appeared in every preseason game. The rest of the team was simply… not there. How are you supposed to build anything like that?
What This Means Going Forward
The initial hope was that all that early work, coupled with momentum from a strong training camp, would propel the Lakers into the regular season, especially with what’s viewed as a “somewhat soft schedule to open the year.” That’s the perfect setup to find your rhythm and rack up some early wins, right? But with this disjointed preseason, where a new roster couldn’t even consistently be on the court together, it’s hard to see how they’re going to hit the ground running. They might have understood the assignment at first, but the execution in camp seems to have totally undermined it. They’re going to have to find their chemistry on the fly, and with a “soft” schedule that was supposed to be a gift, it could now feel like an uphill battle to just figure things out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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