The Lakers begin the preseason on Friday in Palm Springs, where they face the Minnesota Timberwolves. This will be the first of six exhibition games to be played in the first half of October.

Start time and TV program

WHO: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

When: 7:30 p.m. PT, October 4th

Where: Acrisure Arena, Palm Desert, California

Regard: NBA TV, Spectrum SportsNet

The Lakers are back on the hardwood and this time it will be JJ Redick’s first game as coach. While these preseason games don’t really count, I’ve always believed they matter just as much because we get our first glimpse of what this Lakers team looks like, at least right now.

Based on what we’ve learned so far at media day and training camp, the team raves about Redick’s attention to detail and structural approach. Additionally, it’s also nice to know that the energy and spirit of the team was good, at least according to Anthony Davis. Now it’s time to put those words into action.

Friday’s game will be the perfect opportunity to see the progression of what the Lakers are building, be it their system, philosophies, values, team chemistry, etc. It’s a new beginning, especially for this team that still has a lot to figure out Do.

Still, here are two storylines worth tracking ahead of tomorrow’s clue:

How seriously will the Lakers approach preseason?

Preseason is an opportunity for teams to set the tone of their season. We all know what happened to the ’21-’22 Lakers, who went winless in their preseason. Or even the ’22-’23 team, which won just one of six games, which preceded a 2-12 start to the regular season. One can argue that Darvin Ham may not have taken the preseason as seriously as he could, but that’s not an anomaly.

Personally, I would just like to see the Lakers approach their preseason as seriously as possible. This is an ideal way to build momentum and rhythm, especially since Los Angeles has a tough schedule early in the year.

It will be interesting to see how Redick handles the preseason. How often will LeBron James and Davis play? Will they fight for a win or just an appearance? We’ll find out in the next two weeks.

Who will stand out?

One of the best parts of the preseason is seeing who stands out. Will it be someone like Max Christie, who has received many compliments from both his coach and his superstar teammate LeBron on how he has approached the season? Or a newbie? Maybe someone with a Schedule 10 contract?

Preseason could be an opportunity for players to show in live action why they deserve minutes or even a contract and how well they fit into the new coach’s system. Let’s see which Laker stands out on Friday against the Wolves.

Notes and updates

• Jarred Vanderbilt (foot surgery) and Christian Wood (knee surgery) did not actively participate in practice, so those two are expected to miss Friday.
• The same goes for Cam Reddish, who has yet to participate in 5-on-5 battles in training camp. Although the striker did not play live with the team.
• Christian Koloko has not yet been cleared to play by the NBA, so it can be assumed that he will not be able to play on Friday either.
• We’ll be live on playback for this game, so be sure to join us!

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglanI.