Preseason: Lakers vs Nuggets (10/8/13)

The Lakers were back in Ontario, California on Tuesday for another preseason tune-up against the Nuggets. This time they beat the Nuggets 90-88. The game got ugly (77 free throws combined) in the second half when more of the 3rd stringers and camp invites got playing time. However the team showed improvement and is light years ahead of where they were at this same time last year. Chemistry was the word of the game as the announcers made reference to it several times. It was evident too. You can tell these guys like playing together and they enjoy being Lakers. Something that was definitely amiss from last season. Ball movement was crisp and the extra pass was made frequently. As a result the Lakers jumped out to a 21 point lead at one point. It's still just preseason but these are great building blocks heading into the games that matter.

Nightly Notables:

The Good:
-The Gasol/Kaman front court combo looked nice. Offensively they fit well together because both bigs can pass, shoot, and have a post game. The concerns were mostly on the defensive end because Kaman and Gasol are no spring chickens. However they did well on that end of the floor against one of the fastest teams in the league. This could be a promising combo for certain situations throughout the year.
-The Hill/Williams front court combo looked good too and gave a completely different feel from Gasol/Kaman. They defended with quick rotations and WIlliams strecthed the floor with his outside shooting. Definitely a got to lineup for a small ball scenarion.
-Nash and Blake showed the depth the Lakers have at PG now. It was a far cry from the 3rd stringers we had starting for us last playoffs (Duhon and Morris). Farmar will only solidify that rotation.

The Bad:
-Wes Johnson and Farmar sat out with minor injuries
-Kobe is still out
-Too many fouls. Need to play solid D without hacking

Another good tune-up. If this team keeps it up they could surprise some people. The chemistry is 1000 times better and the players and coaches are united since they all have something to prove.