On the second night of a back-to-back in their final preseason game, the Lakers are sitting their entire starting five.
The Lakers final preseason game will hardly resemble a warm-up for the regular season. While it was already known LeBron James would be out for the game, JJ Redick announced pregame that the entirety of the starting five would sit out.
On top of Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell, both Dalton Knecht and Max Christie are game-time decisions.
JJ Redick says in addition to LeBron, he will also rest AD, Austin, Rui and D-Lo tonight.
Dalton Knecht and Max Christie are both TBD.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 19, 2024
Dalton Knecht is out tonight after bumping knees last night.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 19, 2024
So much for this being anything resembling a watchable game.
This was hardly unexpected. On top of it being the second night of a back-to-back, the Lakers were playing the third game in four nights. It’s just a bizarre schedule for a number of reasons and all signs pointed to this being the game the Lakers took off, effectively.
Hachimura did miss Thursday’s game with a calf strain. Redick, however, doesn’t think that will keep him out of the lineup when the regular season begins.
Redick says that he does not believe Hachimura’s calf discomfort will cause him to miss opening night. https://t.co/FY0yqANSfB
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 19, 2024
With at least the starting five out and potentially seven players in the nine-man rotation, expect a heavy dose of the end-of-bench guys.
The only players guaranteed from the rotation are Gabe Vincent and Jaxson Hayes. After that, there will likely be many minutes for Jalen Hood-Schifino, Bronny James, Maxwell Lewis and Lakers legend Quincy Olivari, among others. Perhaps there may even be minutes for recent signing Grayson Murphy.
While it’ll still be important minutes for those players, it’s going to be little more than a developmental game for the Lakers before starting the regular season.