@SpectrumSN 📺 sideline reporter/host/analyst; PXP 🎙; @espnlosangeles 📻; @NorthwesternU alum; IG: @MikeTrudell.
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Joined February 2009
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Sandro Mamukelashvili shot 55.6% overall and 52.4% from 3 towards 13.4 points in only 19.9 minutes per preseason game, plus 3.4 assists.
His release on his 3 is easy and smooth:
Collin Sexton said he felt good physically in practice today after participating fully for the first time: “I was super excited to be back out there. It was a great day.”
We’ll see how he feels tomorrow ahead of Wednesday’s season opener.
JJ Redick said Collin Sexton was a full participant in Monday’s practice.
Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr were not.
Last season, JJ Redick won 53 games despite using 40 different starting lineups. Gabe Vincent started Game 1, and Luke Kennard Game 82.
For 2026-27, how much does it matter which two wings start alongside Dončić/Reaves/Kessler on Wednesday?
Not much!
miketrudell10.substack.com/p…
Mike Trudell retweeted
Update on the other Lakers who did not play in Las Vegas:
- Luka Doncic was a full practice participant Thursday
- Ziaire Williams was a full participant. He said the swelling in his left foot has subsided and he "felt great"
- Adou Thiero was a limited participant
(1 of 2)
Part 2!!
I asked @iztok_franko what it was like falling in love with the game of basketball in Slovenia 🇸🇮 , how he’s observed the rapid star rise of Luka Dončić and more:
miketrudell10.substack.com/p…
Something different today: Part I of a two-part Q&A swap with @LakersReporter is live.
I ask the questions, Mike takes us from Kobe to Luka through nearly 20 yrs around the Lakers. Later this week we switch roles on his Substack. This was a lot of fun!
tinyurl.com/mike-trudell-lak…
Mike Trudell retweeted
Something different today: Part I of a two-part Q&A swap with @LakersReporter is live.
I ask the questions, Mike takes us from Kobe to Luka through nearly 20 yrs around the Lakers. Later this week we switch roles on his Substack. This was a lot of fun!
tinyurl.com/mike-trudell-lak…
Mike Trudell retweeted
“No effect on game planning,” JJ Redick said when asked how the Lakers minor injuries have impacted his preseason rollout plans. “You have to change a little bit or what your install pattern is relative to what you had planned, but we’ll have enough time.”
Here's one sentence on each player summarizing their preseason thus far for the 16 guys on the primary roster: miketrudell10.substack.com/p…
Also: A look inside the TV truck with longtime lead producer Mark Shah (free): miketrudell10.substack.com/p…
Mike Trudell retweeted
JJ Redick said “we’ll see” on if Walker Kessler will make his debut against the Warriors on Tuesday. Kessler participated in practice today but didn’t take part in live action. Redick said he might return to scrimmaging tomorrow.
Redick said he liked the zone look that they threw out there briefly tonight, despite not spending practice time on it yet, and said it’ll be a weapon for them this season. He mentioned Williams and Thybulle as key guys in that look.
Encouraging start to the preseason from Jake LaRavia, after a tough shooting stretch to close 2025-26.
He's 6 for 11 from 3 through 3 preseason games (54.5%).
Tonight, he has 17 points on 6 of 9 FG's (3 of 6 from 3), after 12 and 9 points in the prior two games (21.5 mpg).
Mamukelashvili closed the 3rd Q with a pair of 3's, getting him to 19 points on an efficient 7 of 10 FG's (3 of 6 from 3) with 4 assists and 3 boards, to put LA up 86-70.
Luka Doncic (23 points, 3 assists, 3 boards) and Austin Reaves (8 points, 8 assists, 6 boards) both played 25 minutes; we'll see if that's it for them tonight.
LA's lead is 78-69 late in the 3rd Q.
Dončić had 10 points in 8 1st Q minutes, with the rest of the team managing only 11 as LA lead SAC 21-20.
The Lakers held the Kings to 35.0% FG's, but allowed 7 offensive rebounds, leading to the bulk of SAC's production.
Adou Thiero, getting the starting nod with Ziaire Williams out, already has a block on defense, and a transition alley-oop dunk off an Austin Reaves pass with LA up 5-2 early against Sacramento.
Ziaire Williams, Collin Sexton and Arthur Kaluma remain out; Cameron Carr and Dalton Knecht are also out, both of whom have contusions.
JJ Redick said that Austin Reaves will make his preseason debut tonight after missing the first two with a tweaked ankle.
Walker Kessler remains out (finger), but Redick said he remains day-to-day isn’t concerned.
Lakers Talk on @ESPNLosAngeles with me and @geeter3 from last night, breaking down the first two preseason games, looking at the possible rotation and more:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas…
