3 Takeaways From Lakers’ Preseason Finale Loss to Nuggets

The Los Angeles Lakers dropped their preseason finale to the Denver Nuggets, but soon the real season will begin.

Oct 16, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) is fouled and scores against Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) in the second quarter at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jon Endow-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Los Angeles Lakers' preseason has ended, and the regular season is now upon us. 

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Denver Nuggets, 121-106, in their preseason finale. They finished the preseason with a2-3 record and will now shift their focus to the 82-game regular season, which begins Wednesday.

The Lakers did not end the preseason how they wanted; however, they'll look to flip the script against the Golden State Warriors on Opening Night. 

As for Friday's contest, here are my three takeaways from the preseason finale. 

No. 3: Lakers Big 3 Played Just One Half Together, And It All Came in the Finale

The Lakers' big three of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler all shared the floor for the first time since joining forces against the Nuggets. 

However, we only got to see the trio together for one half. The Lakers did not play Doncic in the second half. 

It's not ideal that we only got to see this trio for the first 24 minutes of action; however, we got a glimpse of what to expect. 

Luka Dončić (15 PTS, 3 3PM) gets the and-1 layup to fall and shares a laugh with his friend Nikola Jokić (15 PTS, 6-7 FGM) 😂

Nuggets lead the Lakers at the break on ESPN. pic.twitter.com/jtwkXamxp8

— NBA (@NBA) October 17, 2026

The Lakers are counting on Kessler to become a significant defensive presence while also building chemistry with Doncic and Reaves. 

Doncic and Reaves have spent the most time together on the court compared to anyone else on this roster. Their chemistry is rock solid; the biggest question mark is how they'll mesh with the Lakers' newest big man. 

With the regular season approaching, the Lakers have limited time to refine their rotation and establish chemistry. These three names are all talented individuals; now it's all about building camaraderie, and if they can, this team's ceiling and floor could rise. 

No. 2: JJ Redick's Experimental Starting Lineup Raises Questions

JJ Redick gave us a potential preview of what the starting lineup could look like this season. 

Redick went with Doncic, Reaves, Kessler, Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle, leaving Quentin Grimes off the bench. 

Having both Williams and Thybulle makes sense. Both of those players offer athleticism and defensive versatility around the team's three core players. 

However, there are question marks about the team's shooting and half-court offense. It was rough to see at times, with Denver jumping out on the Lakers in the first quarter, 36-22.

WE ARE REGULAR SEASON READY 🔥 pic.twitter.com/z6kHdy7hat

— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) October 17, 2026

Los Angeles struggled to find their rhythm offensively early. The concern is that the opposing defense may feel comfortable helping off Williams and Thybulle. 

Williams and Thybulle offer the defense they need, but the shooting is still a question mark. 

Grimes offers shooting and potential point-of-attack defense. It's going to be interesting to see what direction Redick takes: will he go with the defensive versatility and upside, or the shooting to start the season? 

No. 1: Turnovers & Defensive Lapses Continue

These departments continue to kill the Lakers in more ways than one. It's been a cause for concern since the start of preseason, and it will remain so until the Lakers figure out how to turn it around. 

The Lakers committed 14 turnovers, the same as the Nuggets, but six came in the first quarter alone. 

The mistakes helped the Nuggets build the lead from the jump, and the Lakers had to scratch and claw their way back in the contest. 

Not only was that an issue, but their defensive lapses did them no favors as they were clawing back in the game. Denver answered whenever the Lakers made a run. The team cannot afford to give opponents easy transition opportunities and then rely on its star to erase a double-digit deficit. 

The combination of careless turnovers, inconsistent defense and slow starts could haunt the Lakers. 

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