After a five and a half month hiatus, the Los Angeles Lakers are ready to get back on the court. They’ll begin the 2013 preseason with a game against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.
The exhibition games won’t count in the standings, but they’ll be very important for Mike D’Antoni and the rest of the coaching staff. L.A. lost multiple key players in the offseason, as Dwight Howard signed with the Houston Rockets and Metta World Peace went to the New York Knicks. The Lakers will have to use the preseason to determine their starting lineup.
Less than half of the team’s opening day starting lineup has been determined. Steve Nash will be at point guard and Pau Gasol will make the move to center, leaving three spots up for grabs.
Kobe Bryant will obviously start at shooting guard if he’s healthy, but it’s still unknown when he’ll return. The veteran is still recovering from the torn Achilles that he suffered at the end of last year. He hasn’t had any setbacks, but he’s not expected to play in the preseason.
The Lakers won’t put Bryant on the court before he’s ready. The initial timetable for his return was set at six to nine months. The 35-year-old has been participating in basketball-related activities, but he has yet to begin sprinting. According to D’Antoni, Bryant has been rehabbing on altered-gravity treadmill, on which he is using 80 percent of his bodyweight.
In Bryant’s absence, the Lakers could decide to start another point guard alongside Nash. During media day, Steve Blake said he expects to play “quite a bit” at shooting guard. Last season, Blake struggled with injuries, starting 13 games while Nash was out with a broken leg.
Los Angeles’ biggest free agent signing may have been that of Nick Young, to whom they gave a two-year deal. He came over from the Philadelphia 76ers, where he played shooting guard. However, L.A. is planning on using him at small forward. He has never started more than 40 games in a season, but he could well exceed that number in 2013-2014.
Young is one of just several new Lakers that will be asked to be a major contributor in the upcoming season. The 28-year-old will be competing with another offseason acquisition to start at small forward. Wes Johnson came over from the Phoenix Suns after three disappointing years in the NBA. With the Lakers, he’ll look to fulfill his promise as the No.4 overall draft pick in 2010. Johnson has started 76 percent of his games, but struggled to find consistent success. For his career, he’s averaging 7.7 points per game on just 40 percent shooting from the field.
Three other new faces are competing for a starting position. Chris Kaman, Shawne Williams, Ryan Kelly are looking to play alongside Gasol in the frontcourt. None of them, though, started at the position last season. Kaman has been a center for his 10 years in the league, Williams hasn’t played in the NBA since February 2012 and Kelly is a rookie.
Jordan Hill, who’s coming back for a third season with the team, might be the favorite to see the most time at the position. He’s worked on his jump shot in the offseason, since D’Antoni’s offense system works best with a power forward that can play away from the basket.
Of the 20 players at Lakers training camp, 11 didn’t played a game for L.A. last season. The roster will eventually be cut down to 15.
Lakers 2013 Preseason Preview: When Will Kobe Return? New L.A. Players Can Expect To Play Large Roles
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