Lakers still waiting for preseason debuts of Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton

Entering the final week of preseason games, Lakers coach JJ Redick still is unsure when he’ll get a full look at his new-look team.

Lingering injuries to center Walker Kessler (finger) and guard Collin Sexton (lower leg) are casting doubt on their availability for the Lakers’ fourth preseason game Tuesday in Las Vegas against the Golden State Warriors.

Both offseason additions have yet to make their preseason debuts. While Kessler participated in practice Saturday after hitting his finger on the backboard, he was not in live drills. Redick said he was “not committed” to having Kessler available Tuesday against the Warriors.

The Lakers invested four first-round picks and a four-year, $130-million contract to get the star center from the Utah Jazz. They’re relying on him to anchor their defense and add a much-desired lob threat for guard Luka Doncic. For now, the Lakers are getting a preview of what their team would look like in the minutes without Kessler.

“It’s important to have two of the bigger wings out there for rebounding purposes,” said Redick, who said Kessler’s finger injury is minor enough for him to play through if this was the regular season. “That was a concern, I think, coming into the year … trying to be a good defensive rebounding team. What does that look like with Walker not on the court? And I think in film, it’s pretty apparent that we need to do a better job of boxing out. Just like simple stuff and gang rebounding.”

The Lakers are 28th in the preseason with 37.7 rebounds per game and gave up 20 offensive rebounds to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday in their third game of the preseason.

Wings Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams started the Lakers’ preseason opener and the defensive-minded players flashed their potential by hounding opponents the full length of the court. After starring in the opener with 13 points and a steal against the Warriors, Williams missed the last two games because of a foot contusion.

Second-year forward Adou Thiero started instead and has a team-high 11 defensive rebounds in three games. The high-flying wing’s growth this offseason caught the attention of his teammates, who are eager to throw him lobs for dunks and see him sky for rebounds.

Doncic has been high on him since the Lakers star hosted a five-day minicamp for the team in his home country of Slovenia in August.

“I told him that the second pickup game in Slovenia, what I saw from him, just understanding the game better, reading the game, I think he improved a lot in the summer,” Doncic said.

With Kessler sidelined, the Lakers have alternated Kevon Looney and Sandro Mamukelashvili at center. Looney leads the team with 17 rebounds in the preseason. Mamukelashvili, who plays both power forward and center, has 11 assists in the preseason, showing the type of versatility that has Redick excited to install the team’s “Mamu package” of plays and after-timeout sets.

The lack of depth at center could be a concern during the season, but they’re confident in their perimeter players to set the tone on defense.

“It makes my job a lot easier,” Looney said of the Lakers’ rotation of wings. “As long as I talk early, they’re going to get over the screen. I don’t have to be caught playing two. Those guys are able to recover, they’re able to block shots, they’re able to pop back and get rebounds. As a big, when your guards and wings are hustling like that, it makes your job a lot easier.”

Lakers center Kevon Looney (center) tries to score inside against the Kings' Dylan Cardwell (left) and Nique Clifford. — Lakers center Kevon Looney tries to score inside against the Kings' Dylan Cardwell and Nique Clifford during a preseason game on Monday in Sacramento. (Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)

Sexton is “probably a little bit further behind” when it comes to returning compared to Kessler, Redick said. The Lakers signed the 27-year-old guard for extra scoring punch and have missed him as a third ballhandling option to supplement Doncic and Austin Reaves. With the way teams pressure, Redick said he is aiming to have multiple ballhandlers on the court at all times.

With coaches still tinkering with lineups in the preseason, turnovers became a problem when the ballhandling options dwindled. The Lakers average the fourth-most turnovers per game (23.7) in the preseason.

Although the Lakers have yet to have all their players available, they aren’t lacking confidence. Doncic said he knew the team, which welcomed nine new players during a busy offseason, had championship potential well before training camp started.

“Since the first day,” Doncic said. “That simple. Since the first day everybody came together in Slovenia … I believed that we can win a championship.”