Friday night's dress rehearsal provided insight into who will likely be in Los Angeles' rotation in the first week of the season.

The Los Angeles Lakers took on Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena on Friday night in a rematch of last year's first round 4-1 T'Wolves victory. The Lakers were without the services of LeBron James as the ageless wonder sat out due to a sciatica issue.

The Los Angeles Lakers were dealt a major setback on Sunday as superstar Luka Dončić was diagnosed with a sprained left finger and lower leg contusion that will keep him sidelined for at least a week, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

Former Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard joked about rejoining the team in a separate role for the organization. Howard was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September, cementing his legacy as one of the game's finest centers, who helped the Lakers to their 17th championship in 2020.

Vanderbilt has now been added to the Lakers’ injury report. This is after the team made an announcement regarding the 26-year-old shortly after he did not start the second half. “Vanderbilt has a left quad contusion and will not return, per the Lakers,” Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported on X.

There is still a level of caution revolving around Deandre Ayton that is hard to shake. However, in the very early parts of the Ayton experience for the Los Angeles Lakers, it is likewise difficult to shake the present feeling that Rob Pelinka and the front office made the biggest steal of the summer,