GOLETA, CA - On Thursday, the Los Angeles Lakers went through their third straight day of a six-day training camp, and the previous night had provided the first scrimmages for the team.
"I thought last night's practice was really sloppy, but the effort was there," Lakers coach Luke Walton said following Thursday's morning practice. "It's kind of to be expected the first time we let guys scrimmage. Guys are trying to play too fast: too many fouls; too many turnovers."
However, the coach seemed satisfied with the effort being put forth, and singled out a few individual players for standing out during the scrimmages. Marcelo Huertas, who recently played with Brazil in the 2016 Rio Olympics, had a good night and brought a smile to his coaches face. Julius Randle earned a mention, and the coach again commended rookie Brandon Ingram for his defensive intelligence.
"Brandon's defense was phenomenal last night," Walton said. "He's starting to really understand how to use his length."
The first scrimmage did not split players into potential starting units or backup units. In truth, the second and third day of training camp is a bit early to designate starting units and backup units. Ingram is not expected to start, and Walton's decisions on which players start, which players play backup minutes and which players sit out of the rotations should be an intriguing dance that plays out during the fast approaching preseason.
"Obviously, it's going to be D'Angelo (Russell) and Jordan (Clarkson)'s show," veteran guard Lou Williams said on Thursday. "They're expecting those guys to run it, so you don't want to be overbearing. You want to give them the best advice that you can, lead by example."
Russell, in particular, appears intent on taking over the leadership role on the court and spoke about his determination to motivate his teammates and study what his team needs to get going in drills, in scrimmages and, eventually, in games.
Asked what he wants to prove to his coaches during training camp, Russell responded, "That I can run a team--that's the main focus from me."
