Los Angeles Lakers: 6 Things We Learned from Wednesday's Loss to Clippers

The shortened two-game preseason ended Wednesday with the Lakers falling to the Clippers 108-103 in front of the "road" STAPLES Center crowd. The Lakers put in an overall strong effort but the play of Blake Griffin and Mo Williams proved to be too much in the end. 

So what did we see from the Lakers in their last preseason effort?

Here are six things we learned Wednesday heading into the regular season.

6. Derek Fisher Can Still Play

Yes, world, Derek Fisher can still play the game of basketball.

Fish ran the offense for the Lakers in the first half, leading the team to a hot start, running the ball up the floor and finding the bigs down low to much success.

And the biggest question facing Fish this season—his defense?

Looked great to me.

He was able to body up Chris Paul, stay in front of him and move his feet well.

We'll have to see how he holds up over the course of the year, but if Mike Brown can preserve Fish's conditioning much like he's done this entire week, the Lakers can rely on Fish at point.

5. Three-Point Shooting Looks Strong Heading into Season

One weakness the Lakers appeared to address this offseason was their three-point shooting. Ranked in the middle of the pack last year in terms of three-pointers made and three-point shooting percentage, the Lakers outshot the Clippers last night 12-for-24 from downtown at a 50 percent clip.

Steve Blake led the charge with five three-pointers including back-to-back daggers in the second quarter. Blake really focused on improving his jumper this offseason and it looked great in preseason.

Sharpshooting Andrew Goudelock, who got his first run with the Lakers after sitting out Monday's game, went 3-for-5 and showed he'll always be a serious threat from downtown when on the floor.

All this without Jason Kapono taking a shot attempt.

4. Troy Murphy Can't Stop a Nosebleed

Troy Murphy's defense got severely exposed last night, running late on rotations and letting any and all players, particularly Blake Griffin, get by him with ease.

Whether he's still recovering from the basket of injuries that plagued him last season, or has just simply lost a step, Laker fans will have to hold their breath when Troy's in the game.

He appears to be our biggest liability on defense.

Him and Kapono.

3. Devin Ebanks in for a Big Year

The second year swingman from West Virginia started in place of the injured Kobe Bryant and hit the ground running, going 4-for-6 towards eight points in just 13 minutes of play.

Ebanks' jumper was dead on and he was very effective in creating his own shot, be it posting up smaller shooting guards with his 6'9'' frame or taking defenders off the dribble for the pull-up jumper.

His playing time was limited due to his sore right foot, which caused him to sit out of practice yesterday, but from the limited action we've seen, he looks ready to take on a huge role for the Lakers this season.

2. The Lakers Can Be Competitive Without Kobe Bryant

The Lakers played very strong basketball without their superstar and proved they can be competitive should Kobe Bryant sit for an extended period of time to nurse the torn ligament in his right wrist.

It came down to the play of the twin towers, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, and they did not disappoint.

Drew was an absolute beast on Wednesday, cleaning up everything around the rim and running the floor on every possession. One hundred percent healthy, Drew is looking to prove Dwight Howard should be a mere afterthought this season.

Pau played strong minutes as well, putting up 13 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

Without their captain, the Lakers played great basketball against the potential No. 2 seed in the West, the Clippers.

Kobe would be wise to sit out the first five games. The team is more than capable of handling the burden and they proved it Wednesday.

1. Lakers Will Assert Their Toughness Whenever Necessary

In the third quarter of last night's game, Matt Barnes shoved the Clippers' star Blake Griffin to the floor. Two hands; on his back; full extension; Griffin hits the deck.

Barnes was assessed a flagrant foul for the infraction.

But the message from Barnes was clear: The Lakers aren't backing down.

Going to war without Kobe Bryant, the Lakers found a way to get it done offensively and hang tough despite the loud chorus of doubts heard across the entire sports landscape.

The Lakers will not be pushed around this year and will push back when it comes down to it.

Playing with a chip on their shoulder will be the only way the Lakers get to the next level this season. They showed they can, and I don't doubt they will.