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Lakers: 3 Takeaways From the Preseason Win vs Denver Nuggets

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Lakers took care of business at Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario with an impressive 124-115 win over the Denver Nuggets

On what was a pretty disappointing day for Los Angeles sports fans, the Lakers did their best to raise the morale and put on a show for their LA fans.

About 46 miles away from where the Rams were blown out by the Bills 30-19, the Purple and Gold won their rematch against the Denver Nuggets, and their second game of the young preseason, in stellar fashion.

After dropping their first matchup with the Nuggets last Friday, the team made sure to leave Ontario, California with the win. As always the team did their best to leave the fans with something to talk about.

From D’Angelo Russell’s coming out party to Lou Williams’ fourth quarter explosion, here are three takeaways from the Lakers exciting win over the Nuggets.

Nick Young Might Be Here To Stay After All

Oct 9, 2016; Ontario, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle (30) and forward Nick Young (0) celebrate against the Denver Nuggets at Citizens Business Bank Arena. The Lakers defeated the Nuggest 124-115. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

After a few rough seasons, The Prophet of Swag has risen once again.

Once Luol Deng went down with a knee injury, Luke Walton turned to his bench to fill the gap in the starting lineup. In Friday’s game against the  Denver Nuggets, Walton gave Metta World Peace a crack at the starting role, but after just 5 minutes realized it wasn’t the best idea.

On Sunday, Walton turned to Nick Young which would have seemed like a no brainer two years ago. However, after dealing with injuries on the court and drama off the court, Young hasn’t been himself lately.

Surprisingly, in the 31 minutes he played he racked up 14 points and a handful of defensive rebounds. Yes, you read that right, Nick Young played solid defense. He even had a couple of steals on the night.

It’s very hard to credit former head coach Byron Scott with anything, especially when it comes to Nick Young, but he might be responsible for Young’s defensive improvement. Scott challenged Young to be a better defender, and the difference is night and day.

Young can thrive with this team, much like he did in Mike D’Antoni’s offense his first season with the Lake Show. The uptempo offense was tailor made for his style of play.

The ball is in his court, literally and figuratively. For the first time in years the Lakers are sitting comfy at their wing positions, but with Young’s resurgence, Walton might need to make time for Uncle P.

Lou Williams Can Still Get Hot in a Hurry

Mar 18, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Lou Williams (23) during a break in play during the second half against the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center. The Phoenix Suns won 95-90. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Lou Williams’ instant offense helps the Lakers in crunch time

The man is a walking bucket. If it weren’t for a scoring outburst by D’Angelo Russell, Lou Williams would have lead the game in scoring with 25 points.

More from Lake Show Life

Oh, and 15 of those points came in the fourth quarter. Huh? Huh is right, not even a hot pocket gets hot that fast.

Williams technically started for the Lakers on Sunday, but all of those points came off the bench. It’s like something clicks when he stands up from the bench.

His starting role came as a surprise to many, considering his reputation as a spark plug off the bench, but he has made a case for himself the last few games.

Scoring has never been an issue for Williams, but his defense leaves a lot to be desired. The backcourt pairing of Jose Calderon and Williams was, well, exactly what it sounds like.

Williams might never be a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year, but his offensive punch is what the Lakers will need if they want to make it out of the Western Conference alive.

That is unless this next young man continues to blossom.

D’Angelo Russell Has Officially Arrived

Maybe it was the rims at Citizens Bank Arena, or maybe D’Angelo Russell is just really good at basketball.

How about that kid from Ohio State? D’Angelo Russell might have ice in his veins, but his hand was scorching hot on Sunday.

There should be a picture of Russell next to the word “efficient” in the dictionary. Russell finished the night with 33 points on 13-for-19 shooting. That’s 68.4 percent from the field and 57.1 from deep.

Now equipped with a full NBA season under his belt and a coach that doesn’t hate his guts, Russell is ready to take Los Angeles by storm.

The Lakers will see their first real competition against Damian Lillard and the Portland Trailblazers, Tuesday night at Staples Center.

Tune in to watch the Purple and Gold grow and follow us on Twitter @TheLakeShowLife for gems like this.

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