Christie, Knecht, Hood-Schifino Shine in Lakers' 124-107 Preseason loss to Timberwolves.

Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

The score wasn't great (the Lakers lost 124-107), but with LeBron James and Anthony Davis in street clothes, to some degree the ability to judge the final score was eliminated before the game started.

Nor is it wise to try and infer too, too much about what life under JJ Redick will look like, since a) the stars weren't playing, and b) they've practiced for less than a week. That put the focus on individual performances, and among the most intriguing players on the floor for LA were the young guys who didn't make an impact last year, either because they weren't in the rotation (Max Christie), weren't ready/available (Jalen Hood-Schifino) or in college (Dalton Knecht).

And while the sample size is small, the early returns were positive. Christie was for large stretches the best Laker on the floor, showing great calm and command of what he was doing on the floor, and contributing across statistical categories. The poise is there, which is why Redick referred to him as an "old soul" after the game. He's someone the Lakers will ask to make a significant contribution this season, well above what he was given the opportunity to do a year ago. At the least, he looks confident in his ability to deliver.

Knecht didn't shoot particularly well (2-7 from 3-point range) but still scored 16 points and showed the ability to score at multiple levels. And while the turnovers were too high (five on the night), Knecht looked like a player who can function within an offense and keep it moving, rather than a ball-stopping shooter/scorer.

Finally, Hood-Schifino, who suffered through a horrible rookie year in which he was clearly overmatched early and then injured for the bulk of the year, looked light years more confident and physically capable. Basically, JHS looked like an NBA basketball player. A rotation level player? Way too early to say. But last year, he didn't look like he should be wearing the uniform. So this was a major improvement. Six assists, no turnovers, much higher confidence.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

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