The Los Angeles Lakers are winless no more. A 126-83 rout of Israel’s Maccabi Haifa gave the Lakers their first victory of the NBA’s preseason, and provided a safe haven of sorts for the top scoring options on the team.
Kobe Bryant led the way with an efficient 21 points in 18 minutes, netting 6 of 10 field goals in the process. The most encouraging sign was the excellent 4-for-6 that Bryant compiled from three-point range, an area he has struggled from over the last few seasons.
Nick Young and Lou Williams combined for 29 points on 10 of 17 shooting from the field, including six three-pointers of their own. The two look to be the top options off of the Los Angeles Lakers’ bench this season, and Williams continues to look like one of the best scoring options for the Lakers overall.
Brandon Bass (knee) and Marcelo Huertas (hamstring) sat out this game, presumably due to injury, while Robert Sacre and Johnathan Holmes did not play (coaches decision).
Here are three more takeaways from the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over Maccabi Haifa:
A Win Is A Win, But…
It is always good to see the team get a win, even in the preseason. There is no negative that goes along with grabbing a W, regardless if the Los Angeles Lakers were playing Golden State or your cousin’s Girl Scout troop. At the end of the day, winning breeds positivity.
But, it’s important to have perspective, and this game was a built-in victory. A game of this nature is almost like Alabama playing your Division 2 school of choice in college football – the idea is to work out some kinks, pile up the stats, and snag a win to boost team confidence.
The Lakers’ 43-point obliteration of the Israeli basketball club was nice, and hopefully a launching point for some of the young players that need to gather some confidence. But, that is about it.
Roy Hibbert Is The Garbage Man
Hibbert put together one of the most impressive lines of the night with his 8 points, 5 assists, 16 rebounds, and 3 blocks in only 23 minutes. Of his 16 boards, a whopping 7 of them came on the offensive end.
Sure, this performance came against an overmatched opponent, but Hibbert gobbling up misses will be his primary contribution on the offensive end of the floor. Seeing him deliver is a great sign as everyone settles into their roles for the regular season.
As a side note, the big guy made some nice passes in the post. If he can affect the game via the offensive rebound and by setting up teammates when given the chance, Hibbert could be a boon for the Los Angeles Lakers considering the minimal expectations placed on his offensive contributions.
The Young Guns Get Going
Julius Randle kept his excellent preseason going with a 14-point, 9-rebound effort. He has now shot above 58-percent from the field in three-straight games, which is a welcome sign after some problems finishing in summer league.
Randle continues to look awesome attacking on the fastbreak with the ball, and there is significant upside to look forward to with Randle in transition and attacking off-the-dribble in the halfcourt. One of the knocks on him coming out of college was his length, and how that would translate when he needed to finish over size in the paint, but we are seeing the alternative to that scenario thus far.
D’Angelo Russell had easily his best game as a professional, dishing 11 assists and adding 5 points on 2-2 shooting from the field. The performance could be a good confidence boost for the rookie, who has shown flashes, but hasn’t broken through quite yet.
Jordan Clarkson didn’t do anything overly impressive on the stat sheet (10 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists), but looks like he could be the best Los Angeles Lakers defender not named Roy Hibbert this season. His length and athleticism point to a guy who could be a plus-defender, but the real takeaway is his activity. He pressures the ball well, and should only get better as the team moves forward.
Next: NBA: Top 10 Candidates For 2015-16 Rookie Of The Year
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