Three takeaways from Lakers' first preseason game

The rookie looks smooth on the ball, flashed three-level scoring and seems to have a handle on how to move off screens and vary his pace to create separation. On top of his scoring exploits, Knect dished out two assists and grabbed three boards. 

However, how Knecht handled his defensive assignments will likely have him knocking on the door of a rotation spot. He rotated well, switched when required and dealt with the physicality with poise. Redick will undoubtedly like Knecht's versatility on both sides of the floor and could look to develop him as part of the main rotation in the upcoming season. 

Austin Reaves is ready for the new season

Reaves' numbers (16 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists on 40% shooting from three-point range) read like regular-season marks. He was one of the Lakers' best players throughout Friday's game. However, he is still clearly working back into rhythm, as illustrated by his 2-for-9 shooting mark from the field.

Nevertheless, he thrived as a playmaker in Redick's new system, which included multiple new actions and more of an emphasis on motion-based offense. 

Reaves is the sort of player who will thrive in how Redick's new system projects to be set up. The fact that he was already producing at a regular-season level (outside of his shot) will encourage the Lakers' new head coach heading into the season.

Lakers should shoot more threes

Considering Redick is known for his love of analytics, the Lakers didn't shoot many threes. They took a total of 32, making 10, which is a 31.3% conversion rate. Los Angeles has multiple perimeter-scoring threats, especially off the catch. 

Once James and Davis are back in the rotation, and the spacing is back to its usual level, it will be interesting to see if Redick has his team become more liberal from the three-point line. In the modern NBA, teams that don't shoot a healthy dose of threes often struggle to make headway toward the top of their respective conference. Redick will know this and will likely look to implement some strategies to improve the spacing and the shot quality around the perimeter.

For now, though, Los Angeles looked good in its first outing under its new head coach and will continue to improve as preseason progresses.