Category: NBA

What we learned as Warriors storm back late to steal preseason win vs. Lakers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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Going into halftime of the Warriors’ preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena, Golden State looked gassed. The Warriors had just been outscored 34-21 in the second quarter to trail by 13 points at halftime in Las Vegas. 

But the Warriors’ defense turned it up coming out of halftime, holding the Lakers to only 13 points in the third quarter and another lowly 13 points in the fourth for a 101-89 win. In the second half, the Warriors outscored the Lakers 51-26.

Steph Curry in 22 minutes scored 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting. Yaxel Lendeborg and Brandin Podziemski were the Warriors’ leading scorers, each scoring 17 points. 

Neither cooked quite like Austin Reaves did. 

The Lakers guard scored 28 points, with 23 coming in the first half, on 10-of-18 shooting and went 4 of 7 beyond the arc. Very few Warriors could contain him. None could early on.

That can be a bad theme for the Warriors in their attempt to reshape their defense under Frank Vogel’s direction.

Here are three takeaways from a Warriors win that improved their preseason record to 3-2.

Bassey Gets Starting Nod

Steve Kerr on Monday announced that Al Horford didn’t scrimmage that day and wasn’t making the trip to Vegas for the Warriors’ fifth of six preseason games. The decisions already were preplanned as part of Horford’s maintenance, who has been given rest twice this preseason. Kerr in his pregame press conference told reporters that the Warriors were going to be even thinner in the front court, because he was giving Draymond Green the night off. 

The Warriors’ depth was tested, and the first to wade in the waters was third-string center Charles Bassey. There were moments where Bassey showed how he can help when the Warriors are shorthanded, and others where the Warriors were exposed. 

For instance, when Bassey first came out, Lendeborg was forced to play small-ball center and quickly was dunked on by Lakers center Walker Kessler. Speaking of Kessler, he was a problem for Bassey throughout the first half and went into the break as a plus-15 with 11 points and nine rebounds. Bassey had a team-high three turnovers at the half and was in the way on a handful of possessions. 

Yet Bassey finished as a team-high plus-11 in 26 minutes. Bassey also led the Warriors in rebounds with 12, including five on the offensive end. At the end of his box score also are a team-high five turnovers. 

Second-half Steph

Through Curry’s first three preseason games, he played 13, 14 and 14 minutes. He never once played in the second half. That finally changed with the regular season in view. 

Curry went into halftime having played 16 minutes already. While he did make two threes in the first two quarters, Curry got stuck the one time he tried to drive and was part of a group getting worked by Reaves on the other side. Curry also was one of three Warriors with two or more turnovers in the first half. 

For the first time this preseason, Curry was on the court to start the third quarter. He played the first six minutes and watched the rest. Curry in that span scored four points off one three and one free throw. He missed two other 3-point attempts and one runner.

Getting up to 22 minutes was a next step for Curry. It just wasn’t his best showing of the preseason, going 3 of 7 from deep and missing both his 2-point attempts without much burst.

Lendeborg Battles Through

A limping Lendeborg is the last thing anybody wants to see. When it’s the preseason, it’s not even worth pushing at all. However, the rookie was good to go after a short scare.

Lendeborg’s night looked to have ended in the third quarter shortly after limping and vividly yelling “f–k!” trying to walk out a twisted left ankle. He stayed in the game to shoot his free throws and made his first but missed his second. The Warriors had seen enough. They fouled immediately after to get him out of the game. 

Reporters in Vegas noted Lendeborg wasn’t limping on his way to the locker room. 

He had played 23 minutes and with a team-high 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting at the time. And his night actually wasn’t over. Lendeborg returned at the 1:38 mark of the third quarter and played the rest of the period. 

Lendeborg did band work to stretch his ankle and did not play in the fourth quarter.

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A key piece of the revamped Boston Celtics secured his short-term future with the franchise.

Guard Payton Pritchard, the 2024-25 Sixth Man of the Year, has agreed to a two-year, $44.2 million contract extension with the Celtics, with the 2029-30 season being a mutual option, according to ESPN.

Messages left for Pritchard’s representatives were not immediately returned, but Pritchard did share a message on Instagram on Tuesday, Oct. 13, following the report.

As star forward Jayson Tatum missed much of last season, Pritchard took on more responsibility, becoming one of Boston’s primary shot makers; Pritchard averaged career highs in scoring (17.0 points per game), rebounding (3.9) and assists (5.2).

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Tatum was one of the first to comment on Pritchard's Instagram post, writing simply: "Bag💰💰💰"

Pritchard started 50 of his 79 games last season, but appears likely to resume his role as Boston’s sixth man. In the team’s preseason game against the 76ers Saturday, Oct. 10, which was something of a dress rehearsal for the Celtics, Pritchard came off the bench, before eventually leading the team with 25 points on 7-of-12 shooting.

The Celtics are embarking on a new era after trading away former star Jaylen Brown to the 76ers. Boston will be incorporating Paul George, who scored 13 points on 3-of-10 shooting against his former team, into the lineup.

Either way, Pritchard figures to remain a central scorer and one who often closes games on the floor because of his shooting and scoring.

LAS VEGAS — The Lakers and Warriors are seeing a lot of each other throughout October. 

One week after playing a preseason exhibition in San Francisco, which the Warriors dominated as the Lakers sat most of their rotation players, the two are matching up again Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena. 

It’s the second of four games between the Lakers and Warriors during the month.

They play their regular-season openers against each other on Oct. 21 in Los Angeles, and then open NBA Cup Group Play on Oct. 30 at Chase Center. 

What are the key storylines The California Post will be monitoring tonight?

Kessler’s debut

Walker Kessler has yet to make his preseason debut because of a left pinky finger injury. 

The Lakers marquee free agency acquisition’s status remains up in the air after both teams had their shootarounds Tuesday morning at T-Mobile Arena. 

Kessler returned to live drills in practice on Sunday, and has made it clear he wants to be on the floor.

Whether he will be remains to be seen. 

But what is clear is that the Lakers miss his presence inside of the paint as a rim protector, rebounder and roll man in the pick and rolls with star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

Curry’s minutes

Warriors star guard Steph Curry will get extended playing time against the Lakers after being on the floor for 13-14 first-half minutes in the three previous exhibitions he played in.

Coach Steve Kerr said Curry will play in the second half against the Lakers, likely playing between 20-22 minutes. 

The team has been careful with Curry’s preseason workload after he missed 39 regular season games last season because of runner’s knee. 

How his body responds to the uptick in playing time will be important with a week left until the start of the regular season. 

Turnovers

The Lakers and Warriors have both struggled with taking care of the ball during the preseason, posting turnover percentages of at least 20% in their exhibitions entering Tuesday. 

And both are looking to clean up their offensive process before the games start to matter in the standings next week. 

Which team will make better progress in this area Tuesday night?

With Kristaps Porzingis out indefinitely, Warriors coach Steve Kerr revealed his potential starting lineup for opening night of the regular season.

Kerr said he’s “leaning toward” starting Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Brandin Podziemski, Yaxel Lendeborg and Gui Santos.  

Al Horford, who turned 40 in June, could be a potential starter, but Kerr said he’s leaning against that option. 

“Al could be in there, but just given where he is minutes-wise per game, if the guy is going to play 20 [minutes], which is probably the limit or where we’d like him to average, it’s just a lot easier to bring him off the bench,” Kerr told reporters Monday. 

“I also like the idea of having Draymond or Al on the court as often as possible to anchor our defense, so, yeah, I’m leaning that way.”

Porzingis has missed the Warriors’ entire preseason due to an undisclosed private health issue. Kerr said Porzingis will meet with Rick Celebrini, the Warriors’ director of sports medicine and performance, on Tuesday to figure out next steps.

It remains unclear when Porzingis will return.

“All of that will be determined once we get him back here and have discussions and figure out where he is and all that stuff,” Kerr said. 

Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are expected to remain sidelined with injuries for the first few months of the season.

So, when it comes to the Warriors’ starting lineup, Santos could get a big opportunity. The 24-year-old forward started in 30 games for the Warriors last season and averaged 9.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.3 blocked shots per game.

Santos, whom Golden State selected with the 55th pick in the 2022 draft, has been a success story for the franchise. The Warriors signed him to a three-year, $15 million extension in February.

The Warriors open the regular season against the Lakers on Oct. 21 at Crypto.com Arena.

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The Sixers will play their final preseason game this Friday against the Boston Celtics at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

After that, they count.

We’re exactly one week away from the season opener where LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and the Sixers will be at Madison Square Garden for the ring ceremony and banner raising of the defending champion New York Knicks. Next will be the home opener a couple nights later against James Harden and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

If Nick Nurse is true to his word, expect to see the Sixers’ full starting lineup again Friday in what will amount to a dress rehearsal. All of James, Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe should suit up and likely play into the second half. Nurse sounded hopeful Tuesday at practice that Anfernee Simons (hamstring) and Adem Bona (foot) could be available for a tune up on Friday. Both players are set to take on significant roles.

What’s on your mind a week from the real thing? Hit me up in the comments and I’ll do my best to respond to as many of you as possible.

During his Summer League debut in 2025, while playing for the Golden State Warriors, Chris Mañon recorded eight points, three rebounds, three steals, two blocks and one assist in 19 minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers. Although Mañon spent the entirety of his 2025 Summer League stint with the Warriors, his play in that opening game caught the eye of the Lakers organization, which ultimately signed him to a two-way contract for 2025-26 and did so again this summer for 2026-27.

Mañon has appeared in all three of Los Angeles’ preseason games thus far, headlined by a 12-point, five-rebound, one-block, one-steal performance against the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 5.

“I really like Chris. We had him in for a draft workout. I think we maybe had him in for two draft workouts,” Redick told reporters. “Then he was with Golden State during the California Classic and really popped against us. So we started working that pretty much immediately with his agent because he wasn’t on a two-way. So, we’re invested in him and we’re invested in his development, in his career. I thought he played really well against Sacramento. I don’t think any of our guards played well against Golden State.”

Mañon only played in nine games with the Lakers last season but logged 46 G League appearances for the South Bay Lakers, where he averaged 11.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.1 steals. His defensive playmaking, perhaps the standout trait of his game, has seemingly translated across every context. He posted a 5.6% steal rate in four years collegiately, posted a 3.8% steal rate in the G League last season, picked up five steals in 46 NBA minutes a year ago, and has four steals in 40 preseason minutes this season.

Redick has emphasized defensive disruption during training camp and preseason play, an area Mañon could clearly help boost with his knack for occupying the passing lanes. He’s also been a highly effective interior scorer, shooting 60.5% on 2-pointers for his collegiate career and 59.6% (155-of-260) in the G League. It’s doubtful the 24-year-old factors into Los Angeles’ rotation this year but he owns a collection of skills the Lakers are intrigued by, so his development will be worth monitoring wherever he receives the majority of his playing time in 2026-27.

You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.

Preseason updates on Sixers' injuries and rotation plans  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers still have a few lingering injury questions as the days tick down toward their regular-season opener next Tuesday against the Knicks.

Adem Bona (left foot sprain) and Anfernee Simons (hamstring) were partial participants in practice for the second straight day, a team official said Tuesday. Dominick Barlow (back) did not practice. 

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said Simons and Bona both “did a good majority of stuff in the half court.” Will they play Friday in the Sixers’ preseason finale vs. the Celtics? 

“I hope so,” Nurse said. “I don’t know where that hope line is, but there’s certainly some hope.” 

Barlow does not sound as if he’s on the verge of a return. 

“There is no timeline,” Nurse said. “He just has some soreness that he’s dealing with. Giving him some real decent time off to see if that will kind of progress it quickly. There’s no timeline. Just hoping it gets a little better, he feels a little better and he can get back out there fairly shortly.”

On top of Ariel Hukporti’s right Achilles tendon tear, Bona and Barlow’s absences have contributed to the Sixers’ shorthanded state at center. 

Whenever he gets the green light to play, Bona would be the logical next name in line after Joel Embiid. The Sixers used Jabari Walker and Dean Wade at the five Saturday in their blowout preseason loss to the Celtics. Walker has boosted his stock in the preseason, averaging 11.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game and shooting 5 for 13 from three-point range (38.5 percent). 

“They’ve both played pretty (well). I think Jabari’s played outstanding, actually,” Nurse said. “And Dean, we’ve seen that he’s a really good player, kind of a multi-faceted guy. … He can pop, he can guard multiple positions, he rebounds really well for his position. 

“So I think those guys have done a nice job and that’s where we’ll start if we have to, as far as backup five. But it looks like they both are capable. I guess we’ll see. It’ll matter with matchups, who we’re playing and all that kind of stuff, too. … I’m pretty happy with the jump Jabari has taken, just confidence-wise. And I’m really happy with the player that Dean is.”

Meanwhile, Simons has yet to make his Sixers preseason debut. 

For what it’s worth, Labaron Philon Jr. gave a rave review of the 27-year-old guard’s practice performance. 

“He looked great,” Philon said. “Coming off screens, shooting the ball, getting into the lane, pull-ups. He’s a very confident, high-level shotmaker. … Seeing a guy come back and be ready like that, it’s crazy. I would say he made a lot of threes today and he was coming off of real quick actions.” 

Philon had his most productive game of the preseason last time out, posting 14 points and seven assists.

The rookie has been learning the many new details of life in the NBA and feels “the game has really slowed down as I’ve gotten better and the preseason has gone on.” 

“There’s really more space on the court,” Philon said, “and you’ve got to be able to knock down shots. … Knowing where to be on the court, knowing how to space on offense, and knowing how to be at the right place at the right time on defense.”

Being around tons of talented players and stepping into a bench role hasn’t seemed to dent Philon’s self-belief.

“His confidence is through the roof,” VJ Edgecombe said. “Everybody knows he plays with such a swagger. We’ve seen it in college. I played against him in high school. He always had that swagger; he’s always been confident. I’m just happy to see him on the floor and he’s been playing really well.” 

Could Philon be part of the Sixers’ opening-night rotation? 

Nurse indicated that Simons’ health will be the largest factor in answering that particular question. 

“I think they’re different players,” Nurse said. “It’s not maybe direct competition, but I think the competition is, ‘Who’s the guard off the bench in the rotation?’ I’m going to probably lean more toward a nine-year veteran, as long as he’s healthy. And I think with the talent that he has … I envision those three — VJ, Tyrese (Maxey), Anfernee — sharing that spot as much as possible. 

“And then (Philon) gets a crack in probably pretty short stints at the start (of the season). That’s how I would see it. And if Anfenee’s out, then (Philon) is now in that rotation.”

Plenty of eyes will be on second-year center Khaman Maluach throughout this season as he looks to receive his first real opportunity to play consistent minutes in the NBA following the injury to Mark Williams.

You could essentially call last season a redshirt year for Maluach, considering how little he played. Sure, he appeared in 46 games, but he averaged only 8.9 minutes per contest. It’s difficult to draw many meaningful conclusions from a sample size like that, especially when you’re talking about a young player still learning the nuances of the NBA game. Add in the fact that he’s entering his second season following a full summer of what we hope was growth and development, and projecting what to expect from the 20-year-old big man becomes even more challenging.

That said, I came across an interesting statistic that could serve as the foundation for a weekly update tracking his progress throughout the season. A “Malu-Watch”, if you will. It’s certainly a flawed metric, but one that could serve as a useful reference point for evaluating his impact on the defensive end. Because at the end of the day, that’s where I’m hoping Maluach makes his greatest contribution.

Whoever starts at center for the Phoenix Suns isn’t going to be somebody the team relies upon to score 20 points every night. Perhaps there will be occasional performances where that happens, but with Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and Miles Bridges occupying the other four starting positions, the expectation is that those players will dominate the shot diet. The center position will primarily serve a complementary role offensively. But defensively? That’s where the opportunity truly lies, and it’s where I’m hoping Maluach can establish his value.

So what’s the statistic I’m referring to? Rebounds + blocks + steals per 36 minutes.

It’s not a perfect representation of defensive impact, and there are certainly limitations to evaluating a player through those three categories alone. But I came across an interesting little nugget that caught my attention. Based on that measurement from last season, Maluach ranked among the top five centers in the NBA. And considering how limited his opportunities were a season ago, that’s an intriguing starting point as we prepare to evaluate what he can become with a more consistent role.

Again, I recognize how flawed this statistic is. Maluach played only 8.9 minutes per game last season, and per 36 numbers are much like single-game plus-minus. They tell part of the story, not the entire story. When you’re extrapolating production across 36 minutes, you’re assuming a player can maintain the same level of effectiveness and energy over that extended period. That’s not necessarily realistic, especially for a young center still developing his conditioning and understanding of the game.

But the advantage of using per-36 is that it provides a consistent baseline for comparison. Rather than relying solely on counting stats from game to game, where minutes can fluctuate due to rotations, injuries, and foul trouble, it provides a standardized metric for evaluating a player’s production relative to his time on the floor. And I think that could be an interesting way to monitor Maluach throughout the season, tracking his defensive production as his role evolves and his minutes potentially increase. It won’t tell us everything about his impact, but it could provide another layer of context as we evaluate his development.

What does that look like through the first three preseason games?

When you look at his performances through the first two preseason games against the Pistons and Bulls, I think the numbers reflect much of what we witnessed. Defensively, Maluach looked out of sorts. From a rebounding perspective, he wasn’t consistently securing the basketball, often tipping rebounds around rather than grabbing them with authority. His positioning seemed off, and he didn’t appear entirely comfortable with what was happening around him. It almost felt like he was thinking too much rather than reacting instinctively.

But one thing I’ve noticed about Maluach throughout his young career, whether it’s been in Summer League, the G League, or playing against NBA competition, is his ability to adjust. Whether those adjustments happen within a game or from one game to the next, he’s consistently demonstrated an ability to process what went wrong and execute more effectively following difficult performances.

And we saw that in his third preseason appearance. His positioning on the glass was noticeably better, and he attacked rebounds with much more conviction. He looked more comfortable, more decisive, and more confident in where he needed to be defensively. Perhaps my favorite play of the game came when he picked Jordan McLaughlin’s pocket, showcasing the kind of defensive instincts that make his development so intriguing.

Last season, Maluach’s per-36-minute numbers in rebounds + blocks + steals came in at 15.0. Thus far this preseason, considering he’s played 21.8 minutes with 8.0 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, and 0.3 steals, he finds himself at 14.9. Initial analysis says the trend he set last season, albeit in a very limited role, is continuing.

As the season progresses, feel free to check in with Bright Side each week as we track Maluach’s development, how his defensive impact manifests itself statistically, and whether those numbers align with what we’re seeing on the court.

Through three preseason outings, Jake LaRavia is shooting 6-of-11 (54.6%) beyond the arc. While an 11-shot sample is far too small to project any future success, LaRavia’s willingness to shoot is encouraging. Per 36 minutes, he’s attempting 5.9 3-pointers, an uptick from last preseason’s 3.8 and a jump from last regular season’s 4.2. In the playoffs, as his playing time dwindled and jumper cratered, he averaged just 2.2 3-point attempts per 36 minutes. LaRavia’s head coach, JJ Redick, notices him operating with a level of belief necessary to be a good shooter.

“I think Jake had a like a really nice base and foundation to shoot with. So it wasn’t like he was completely revamping his shot on those small tweaks. Ultimately, the tweaks don’t matter if they don’t give you confidence,” Redick told reporters after Thursday’s game against the Sacramento Kings. “I feel like he’s shooting the ball with a lot of confidence right now and he feels confident in the shot. [He had] a great summer shooting the ball, has had a great training camp of practices shooting the ball and that’s carried over to games.”

LaRavia’s playing time dipped last postseason for numerous reasons, largely because his outside shot abandoned him and derailed much of his decision-making offensively. After shooting 35.3% from deep through Jan. 15, he made just 27.9% of his 3s over the final 43 regular-season games before netting just 2-of-7 triples (28.6%) in the playoffs.

“I think the response has been great. Obviously, he’s played really good so far. He was big for what we wanted to do last year,” Austin Reaves told reporters postgame on Thursday. “I think he has spoken about it, not shooting the ball the way he knows he can and wants to. But he told me, I think it was one of the last games of the regular season, we were just [having a] casual conversation and he just told me he was like, I’m going to get the in the gym. I’m going to be one of the best shooters on this team.”

Before struggling over the second half of the season, LaRavia was a key cog in the Lakers’ rotation behind his defense, viable floor-spacing, quick decision-making and offensive rebounding. An extended cold spell from deep interfered with many of those traits. This season, following a summer of reflection, he’s altered his mindset to be less worried about whether each specific hot goes in and is instead harping on the controllable aspects to be the best version of himself.

“I think the one thing that kind of changed for me this year was focusing more on the input rather than the output,” LaRavia said. “So not really focused on my makes or my misses, but am I doing everything in my control to give myself the best opportunity to make the shot. So as far as the output goes, I’m not really concerned about how many shots I’m making right now because at some point, I’m going to also miss shots. But as long as the input stays the same, then I’ll be consistent.”

You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.

Four-star shooting guard Devin Cleveland has narrowed his list of schools under consideration to three, a source told Rivals.

Moving forward, the 6-foot-3 rising senior out of La Lumiere School (IN) will consider Michigan, Missouri, and TCU. Cleveland will announce his college commitment on Friday, Oct. 16, and has visited each of his three finalists.

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Cleveland, a Chicago native, is ranked as the No. 32 overall recruit in the 2027 class and the No. 5 ranked shooting guard, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings, an average of all three major recruiting media companies (Rivals, ESPN, 247Sports).

In late July, Cleveland announced a top seven that also included Alabama, Arkansas, Marquette, and Syracuse.

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Playing on the EYBL Circuit this summer, Cleveland averaged 16.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game for Brad Beal Elite.

“I feel like I’m a winner,” Cleveland previously told Rivals in an interview. “That’s what I’ve been trying to prove this EYBL season. You know, the past couple of years, I haven’t really had much success in winning games, so just coming over here with Bradley Beal, their identity is to win. So, I’m just trying to be a leader. I can score the basketball, and I’m a willing passer. I try to get my teammates involved every game.

“I watch a lot of Devin Booker, Jeremiah Fears, my brother Fred Cleveland, who is a pro overseason. Watching how they score the ball, create contact on the offensive end so I can draw fouls and little things like that.”

Cleveland also discussed what he’s looking for in a program.

“I’m going to be looking a lot at the fit. I want to play for a coach who believes in me and believes in my game, and that it will fit in with their system. Really, I just want to win. That’s all I want to do at the end of the day.”

WASHINGTON — Kyshawn George added eight pounds on lean muscle this offseason to become a more versatile defender.

What he didn’t expect was how much it would help his offensive game as well. Namely, bodying his way into the paint for easy layups or kick-outs to open teammates.

The 22-year-old wing tallied used that muscle to tally 21 points and four assists in the Wizards’ 131-122 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. It’s a sign of things to come for George, who’s entering a possible breakout campaign in Year 3.

“Just more durability, being more confident in my body, what I could do out there,” George said of his added muscle. “I think I always had the skill set, just having the strength and the athleticism to just put it on display on an hourly basis. So having that work being done over the offseason gave me more confidence to go do it in the game.”

George opened the game with a patient step-through move into a mid-range jumper and later skied in for a put-back layup. Isolated on the wing, George drove left and used his added strength to fend off Michael Porter Jr. with his off-arm before drawing contact and making the ensuing free throws.

That ability to muscle inside and draw contact is one of the many perks of added weight, especially against NBA competition.

“My first intention was to be able to add on weight to guard multiple positions, keep that same ability, but guard you know bigger players. And offensively, it’s the same thing,” George said. “I’d be able to get in the paint, draw contact, and then find the open man.”

Then came George’s playmaking — an area the Wizards want him to expand this season. The 6-foot-9 wing received a pass from Alex Sarr before throwing a transition lob to AJ Dybantsa that ignited Capital One Arena.

“I think it’s just getting comfortable [playing point guard],” George said. “I’ve been the point guard for most of my life. It’s just being able to do at this level, and we got a whole ton of support outside of this. So I’m gonna just go out and do it. “

George finished his impressive opening quarter with a 3-point barrage. The Miami product ran the baseline and found space on the wing before drilling his first triple. He followed with another three on the ensuing possession to give him 12 first-quarter points on 4-for-5 shooting.

Throughout his eight-year NBA career, Matisse Thybulle has been tasked with guarding all sorts of stars and offensive archetypes. His foremost traits defensively are his anticipation, timing and ability to cause havoc, which helped him earn consecutive All-Defensive Second Team accolades in 2020-21 and 2021-22 as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.

For his career, he’s averaged a staggering 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks per 36 minutes, underscoring his knack for disrupting opposing offenses. Since signing with the Los Angeles Lakers this summer, Thybulle has seemingly been imparting whatever wisdom he can upon second-year wing Adou Thiero, whose tremendous athletic gifts suggest significant defensive upside.

“We [were] talking about defense,” Thiero told reporters following an Oct. 6 loss to the Golden State Warriors. “That’s what he’s been helping me with the whole time. Just letting me know to pick my spots when I want to be aggressive, when not to, ways to keep the ball in front and just telling me different things defensively.”

In 55 minutes this preseason, Thiero has collected four steals and two blocks, four of which (two steals, two blocks) came Thursday against the Sacramento Kings. During that game, he authored a handful of eye-popping plays defensively, including a rotation to deflect and steal a Maxime Raynaud short-roll pass, fighting around a screen to stay attached to Darius Acuff Jr. and get a hand on his jumper, and containing a Precious Achiuwa drive before blocking his shot.

Here’s the block on Acuff:

After the Lakers’ preseason opener against the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 5, when they forced Sacramento into 27 turnovers, head coach JJ Redick said “clearly, that disruption we talked about carried over.” Across the two ensuing games, the Lakers have forced 51 more turnovers.

The generally sloppy, experimental and shake-off-the-rust nature of preseason presumably inflates turnover numbers across the league. But the Lakers, with plenty of full-court pressure, are clearly trying to be a disruptive group defensively. Thiero’s size and athleticism can help amplify this identity, and it appears the veteran Thybulle is offering his own insights to accelerate the young forward’s development on that end.

You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.