After getting crushed by the Golden State Warriors with a shorthanded roster earlier in the week, the Los Angeles Lakers were able to bounce back, with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves returning to the floor to take on the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena.

Although it was anything but pretty, with the team committing one fewer turnover (25) than the Kings, the Lakers controlled the game from start to finish, with the largest lead of 19.

Ultimately, Los Angeles came out on top, 114-110.

Here are my three takeaways from Thursday’s game against the Kings.

No. 3: JJ Redick Might Be Preparing Adou Thiero for a Significant Role

Ahead of the second and final preseason matchup against the Kings, head coach JJ Redick decided to start second-year forward Adou Thiero, which was unexpected, to say the least.

He didn’t go with Jake LaRavia, Matisse Thybulle or Sandro Mamukelashvili. Instead, he rolled with the Arkansas product, who ended up with a couple of highlights, finishing with six rebounds, three rebounds, two steals, two blocks and an assist in 21 minutes.

Redick clearly sees something special in Thiero, even though he’s likely frustrated with the young forward’s risky drives to the basket when his uncanny athleticism takes over and makes for great jaw-dropping dunks, but scary landings.

Despite Thiero needing to figure out when and where to use that unique athletic ability, the 22-year-old might be in line to play a significant role on this revamped Lakers squad.

Will he be in contention to be the starting power forward? Probably not. But he could be one of the first off the bench for Redick due to his energy, defensive intensity and willingness to learn from his veteran teammates like Matisse Thybulle.

No. 2: Jake LaRavia Adds to Wing Depth

At the end of last season, LaRavia looked like a player who could have a bleak future in Los Angeles, as the team struggled to put it together after a solid start to the 2025-26 campaign.

LaRavia became a liability on the offensive end, unable to knock down shots even when wide open.

Apparently, LaRavia used those struggles to his advantage during the offseason, making tweaks to his shooting form and already showing his improvement during the first three games of the NBA preseason.

Over the course of these preseason games, with two left to go, LaRavia is averaging 12.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, shooting 63.6 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from beyond the arc.

The 24-year-old’s impact and effort cannot go unnoticed, and he’s likely turned some heads on the coaching staff that will have some tough decisions to make in terms of how to allocate minutes amongst the wings.

No. 1: Sandro Mamukelashvili Making a Strong Case to Be a Starter

One of the major questions coming into training camp and the start of the NBA preseason for the Lakers was what to do at the power forward position. 

Redick let it be known during his media day availability that three starting spots were set, and without saying it, Doncic, Reaves and Kessler are locks for those three spots. He also said the other two are up for grabs, making things that much more intriguing ahead of the season opener on Oct. 21.

Veteran newcomer Sandro Mamukelashvili was the obvious choice initially, especially considering he signed a lucrative four-year deal with the team, which means Redick and company had plans for the Georgian big man.

However, the addition of Thybulle and Ziaire Williams has made things a bit more complicated because they play defense at a high level while being able to stretch the floor.

Despite Thybulle and Williams being viable options at the four spot, Mamukelashvili is the better fit, as he can do a little bit of everything on the basketball floor while also providing some size.

In three preseason games, Mamukelashvili is averaging 14.0 points, 3.7 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game, going 57.1 percent from the floor and 57.1 percent from deep.

Only two preseason games remain, and difficult decisions need to be made, but Mamukelashvili is making his case to be a starter as time ticks toward the deadline of the season opener in less than two weeks.

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