The Lakers lost their final preseason game the moment they scheduled it. It was their sixth straight game away from Los Angeles since the start of training camp. They played in Phoenix on Thursday night and never planned on playing their starters.
But preseasons aren’t built to be judged on things like winning and losing. They’re about preparation and installation. They’re practice games for when things start for real.
But with so many players unavailable — the Lakers were without LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, Dalton Knecht, Gabe Vincent and Max Christie — this preseason game wasn’t going to be about any of that.
This one, by default, had to be about opportunity, the Lakers losing 132-74 to Golden State.
With so many minutes and so many shots up for grabs, the Lakers’ youngest players were going to get a chance. And only a couple — Quincy Olivari and Bronny James — at least took some advantage of it on a night that was mostly ugly.
“Our competitiveness wasn’t up to our standard,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “They know that. I don’t need to belabor the point.”
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James and Olivari, at least individually, had the most to be excited about. James got much-needed confidence. And Olivari, who was on a training camp contract, came close acing his final chance in the preseason to find a permanent home.
“He’s a great guy. I love playing with him. Great spirit. He plays hard all the time,” James said of Olivari. “So it was great that we were both given the opportunity to go out there and showcase what we can do.”
Olivari, the undrafted free agent from Xavier, scored 22 points in 39 minutes. Earlier in the preseason, Olivari sparked the team’s fourth-quarter comeback in Milwaukee, thanks in part to the kind of three-point shooting he again showed on Friday when he made five. He finished with six rebounds.
He is likely headed for the Lakers’ G League team unless he signs either a two-way or roster contract.
“I just want a job in the NBA,” he said. “Like, it’s the only thing I’ve wanted.”
While he also had six turnovers, the shooting and passion he played with outweighed any hiccups.
“My dad has preached the same thing since I picked up a basketball: Did I play hard and did I have fun? I definitely had fun,” Olivari said. “I think yesterday when we played the Suns, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker knew my name. And it was just like the biggest surprise. I’m 23 years old but every time I put on an NBA jersey or come to an NBA practice, I am that 8-year-old kid that is just begging my dad to take me to an NBA game. So coming out today, I didn’t know I was starting until the game, when we went through our scout before the game. And I was just like, ‘Wow.’ First career NBA start in the last game, I’ve had this great feeling all day. Why not capitalize?
“So I would definitely say I took advantage because I had fun. And not only did I have fun, but I played hard with the opportunity I had and win or loss, made or miss shot, I know I gave it my all.”
He spoke with Warriors star Stephen Curry after the game, Olivari’s favorite player growing up. The first post on the rookie’s Instagram page is a video of him getting a Curry jersey signed at a Warriors game in Dallas.
“I don’t even know what to say, man, because like, that’s my favorite player ever. And the first thing he told me was like, ‘I’m a big fan of your game.’ And like, truth be told, I’m a big fan of him,” Olivari said. “I had his jersey. He signed it twice. I used to sleep under that jersey. And like, I just wanted to be like him so bad. So just to be able to meet him, him be able to have some respect for me and for us to talk in the back — he gave me a pair of his shoes and signed them. Like, that meant the world to me.”
James, who has struggled throughout the Lakers preseason, played his best basketball with the extended run. Slowly as the game wore on James played with more confidence — making his first three of the preseason and catching a lob from Olivari for his first dunk as a pro.
He turned up his aggressiveness and played more decisively, shooting 17 times, finishing with 17 points, four rebounds and three steals in 35 minutes.
“Tonight I was given an opportunity to go showcase my offensive game,” James said. “And I did that a little bit. So I feel like my confidence, I feel like that’s the biggest thing for me right now.”
Last year’s draft picks, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis, both failed to make a real impact against most of the Warriors’ regulars (Curry missed the game with a minor finger injury and Draymond Green only played the first half).
While Hood-Schifino had seven assists, he also had six turnovers. He and Lewis combined to shoot five for 20 from the field. Cam Reddish was 1-for-11 shooting in his 25 minutes.
“All the moments are building blocks. Not just the good moments. The bad moments are learning opportunities,” Redick said.
The Lakers are now scheduled to practice twice before opening Tuesday at home against Minnesota in their first game of the season inside their home arena.
“Our group is ready to play,” Redick said. “As a whole, we’ve built the foundation.”