The Los Angeles Lakers cruised past the Sacramento Kings in Monday’s dominant 24-point win to tip off the preseason.
Immediately, it was refreshing for Lakers Nation to see superstar guard Luka Doncic hit the court. Doncic, 27, had gone over six months since his last game action; he missed the last two weeks of the regular season and was sidelined throughout the playoff after suffering a severe hamstring strain.
With that all in the rear-view, the new-look Lakers are here, and they are off to a flying start in the 2026-27 season, with multiple newcomers making a strong early impression. After an active offseason that saw the Lakers add 11 players, the pressure is on the team to perform and keep pace with the juggernauts of the Western Conference.
Early Returns are Great News for the Lakers
There was plenty to like about the Lakers 127-103 win Monday night, albeit it the opponent being one of the worst teams in the NBA last season. That isn’t expected to change this season. Minus stars Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler sitting out, the preseason opener produced plenty of positive takeaways, with one in particular being especially promising for L.A., according to Lakers reporter Jovan Buha.
“This was the actualized version of the Lakers on both sides of the basketball,” Buha said after the game. “They made 20 3-pointers, more than they made in any game last season. They had 19 stocks, forced a shot clock violation on the first possession of the game. Even though it was an incomplete look at the team, this was the version of the group that (general manger) Rob Pelinka, (head coach) JJ Redick and Luka Doncic envisioned when they put it together.”
That is a breath of fresh air for the Lakers and their loyal fans. With the enormous roster turnaround this offseason saw, calling this a make-or-break Lakers season isn’t particularly far-fetched, especially with Doncic’s future only generating more speculation as time goes on.
Monday’s win can be taken with a grain of salt for multiple reasons; it was just Game 1 of the preseason, and the opponent was, well, not exactly the 2017 Golden State Warriors.
Tonight’s preseason home-opener against the Warriors will provide a better look at the team and perhaps the first look at some players who weren’t in action Monday.
New Faces With Promising Early Impressions
Many players contributed in their little or big ways, but rookie Cameron Carr and new free-agent signing Ziaire Williams especially grabbed our attention.
Carr paid back Lakers fans for their non-stop excitement over the past four months with a strong preseason debut. Carr, 21, recorded 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting to go along with three rebounds, two assists and two steals. He cashed three of his seven 3-point attempts. With 13 total shots and seven attempts from beyond the arc, Carr showed one thing in particular: he is not shy.
Meanwhile, Williams, 25, poured in 13 points and sank all three of his 3-point attempts while playing his usual active and intense brand of basketball on defense.
The Lakers are back at it tonight to take on the Warriors at Crypto.com Arena.
Lakers Get Great News After Dominant 24-Point Preseason Victory Over Kings