The Lakers rebounding problem has shown up in all three preseason games. The Los Angeles Lakers are 2-1, but they have been outrebounded 136-113 across a win at Sacramento, a 124-98 loss at Golden State and a home win over the Kings. The next test is Tuesday, October 13, against the Golden State Warriors at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and it could bring the first look at Walker Kessler, the rim protector the Lakers added this summer. The Lakers have no game Saturday, so it is a good day to look at the numbers.
This check-in builds on our recap of the 114-110 win over Sacramento, where JJ Redick named offensive rebounds as one of two things bothering the team.
The Lakers Rebounding Problem in Three Games
Every figure below comes from NBA box-score data. Lakers numbers come first.
- Oct. 5, win at Sacramento, 127-103: rebounds 39-46, offensive rebounds 9-13, second-chance points 11-18, points in the paint 40-52.
- Oct. 6, loss at Golden State, 124-98: rebounds 35-44, offensive rebounds 10-11, second-chance points 17-16, points in the paint 36-48.
- Oct. 8, win over Sacramento, 114-110: rebounds 39-46, offensive rebounds 10-20, second-chance points 12-22, points in the paint 48-62.
Add it up and the Lakers have 113 rebounds to their opponents’ 136, with 29 offensive rebounds to 44. Opponents have also scored 56 second-chance points to the Lakers’ 40 and 162 points in the paint to the Lakers’ 124. The Lakers have won two of three anyway, helped by 20 made threes in the opener. Preseason box scores are not a final verdict, and the rosters have been in flux. Still, the pattern is consistent, and Redick has noticed it.
What JJ Redick Has Said
After the win over the Kings, Redick listed two issues. “In fairness to some of the stuff that is bothering us right now, the turnovers and the offensive rebounds,” he said. He gave three reasons: “We’ve tried different lineups. Some of that is like us on coaches just wanting to experiment. Some of that is with Walker being out. Some of that is certain guys, I think, just not having a great grasp on our offense.”
The last part matters. Redick has treated the preseason as a lab. He has changed the starting five and rotated the bench, and he has not yet had his full group on the floor. In the same press conference he said he would “love to get some news on some people” and see the team “at full strength at least in one of these games.”
That fits his bigger picture. Before camp he told The Athletic’s Sam Amick that his view of a roster where “the pieces actually fit together” included “having an elite rim protector.” The Lakers’ rebounding numbers are a reminder of what is missing until that player is on the court. Infanity TV also has a short of Redick on the turnovers that have traveled alongside the rebounding trouble.
Who Has Been Rebounding for the Lakers
The Lakers have not had a traditional big man to lean on, and the individual box scores show a committee. Kevon Looney had nine rebounds in 18 minutes in the opener and five in 17 minutes against Sacramento. Jarred Vanderbilt grabbed five in 16 minutes at Golden State and six in only nine minutes on Thursday. Adou Thiero had four at Golden State, and Austin Reaves had five on Thursday in his preseason debut.
Sandro Mamukelashvili has been one of the best stories offensively, with 19 points on Thursday and 15 at Golden State. He had three rebounds in 21 minutes against Sacramento and two in 18 minutes at Golden State.
The other side of the ledger is Sacramento’s and Golden State’s size. Dylan Cardwell had 10 rebounds in 29 minutes in Sacramento on Oct. 5, and Maxime Raynaud had eight there and 10 more on Thursday. At Chase Center, Yaxel Lendeborg had nine rebounds in 21 minutes, and Graham Ike added seven in only 12 minutes off the Warriors’ bench.
Walker Kessler: Debut Watch
Kessler has missed all three games with a finger injury. Reports said he jammed it on the backboard in practice. He spoke during ESPN’s broadcast on Thursday. “Finger’s good. Finger’s good,” he said. “Just kind of going through all the protocols right now. Talking to the coaches, the training staff. Feeling good.”
Asked when he might play, he said, “I’m not sure yet. We’re still talking and I don’t want to say anything that gets me in trouble, so we’re still talking.”
Redick has been consistent about the injury. “We’re going to check in tomorrow… It’s not concerning,” he said before Thursday’s game. “He’ll play in the preseason.” That leaves two chances: Tuesday in Las Vegas and the preseason finale against the Denver Nuggets on Friday, October 16, at Crypto.com Arena.
Kessler played only five games for the Utah Jazz last season before a torn labrum ended his year, and the Lakers added him this summer on a four-year deal. He is an elite shot-blocker and rebounder, which is what the preseason box scores have lacked.
Other Availability Questions
- Collin Sexton (lower body): has missed three straight games, and Redick has no concern about the Oct. 21 opener.
- Ziaire Williams: missed his second straight game with what Redick called “some soreness,” which he said is not a concern.
- Roster deadline: teams must set 15-player rosters by 5 p.m. ET on Monday, October 19, and the Lakers have 16 players on standard contracts, so at least one move is coming. Reports have pointed to Dalton Knecht’s roster fight as the likeliest, but nothing has been announced.
What to Watch Tuesday in Las Vegas
- Does Kessler play? Redick has said he will play at some point in the preseason, but he has not said which game.
- The glass in the first half. Look at who starts at center and how many offensive rebounds Golden State gets before the first substitutions.
- The zone. After the 3-2 matchup zone debuted on Thursday, the Warriors are a good test of whether it can hold up without a rim protector.
- Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves together. Each played 25 minutes against the Kings, and the Lakers have yet to see them with Kessler and Sexton.
The Warriors beat the Lakers 124-98 on October 6 while Doncic, Reaves, Kessler, Sexton, Matisse Thybulle and Williams all sat for Los Angeles, so Tuesday is a different look. Our recap of that game has the details.
Watch: JJ Redick on the Lakers’ Turnovers
Redick’s short on the turnover problem is on Infanity TV. His full postgame press conference from Thursday is also on the channel.
Schedule: Tuesday, Oct. 13 at Golden State in Las Vegas, 7 p.m. PT; Friday, Oct. 16 vs. Denver, 7:30 p.m. PT; Wednesday, Oct. 21, season opener vs. Golden State.
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