JJ Redick Hasn't Named a Starter, But Walker Kessler Already…

By the Lakers Nightly Desk · Tuesday, October 13

Golden State visits Los Angeles tonight in a rematch of the Oct. 6 blowout, and the bench is talking before Redick's lineup card is set. Walker Kessler already sounds like a starter; whether he plays like one is still preseason's open question.

Walker Kessler of the Lakers — Walker Kessler. Photo: Gamecock Central, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Kessler's Own Scouting Report

Walker Kessler returned to full practice this week, and ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported the center is nearing his preseason debut. By Oct. 12, Lakers Nation had him comparing his own defense to a football linebacker and praising how the unit held up while he sat out, the kind of talk a healthy rotation piece doesn't usually need to give. The injury log backs the optimism: Kessler is day-to-day with a finger issue, and his own estimated return lands tonight, Oct. 13, against Golden State. Redick, per Silver Screen and Roll, had already sketched keys to lineups that don't include him, which only sharpens the question of what changes once Kessler actually plays.

A Lineup Still Up for Grabs

Redick still hadn't named a starting five as of Oct. 12, Lakers Nation reported, even with the regular-season opener against Golden State eight days out. That uncertainty hasn't rattled the room: the same outlet had Doncic calling the roster "very deep" and pleased with how the defense has looked in preseason, while Kevon Looney said the team has "utmost confidence" in him. The record backs some of that calm, two wins and a loss through three preseason games, but the Lakers' payroll already clears the luxury tax threshold, which limits how much the front office can still reshape this group once Redick settles on his five.

Camp Chemistry Below the Stars

The depth pieces got their own notices Oct. 12 and 13. Silver Screen and Roll reported Jake LaRavia's reworked jump shot is paying off early, a jump worth watching against last season's 32.1 percent clip from three. The same outlet had Adou Thiero crediting Matisse Thybulle, now healthy after cycling through day-to-day listings last week, for sharpening his defense. Lakers Nation added Austin Reaves on what Sandro Mamukelashvili brings to the group, and Redick himself telling the outlet the team is "invested in" Chris Manon's development. None of it rewrites the depth chart, but it's the clearest sign yet that camp attention has spread past Doncic and Reaves.

Is Walker Kessler playing tonight for the Lakers against the Warriors?

He's listed day-to-day with a finger issue, and his own estimated return is tonight, Oct. 13, after a full week of practice.

Has JJ Redick named his starting lineup yet?

Not as of Oct. 12 reporting, Redick has yet to finalize it, even as Doncic and Kevon Looney say they're comfortable with the roster's depth.

By the Lakers Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.