Lakers in transition mode with King James
Opening-night loss to Blazers exposes holes
PORTLAND, ORE. • For the past several months, as the clock ticked ever closer to LeBron James’ first game with the Los Angeles Lakers, there has been a non-stop dissection of every aspect of this upcoming season.
From the various moves the Lakers made this offseason to the growth of the team’s young talent to the reasons behind James taking his talents to Southern California, there wasn’t a single aspect of life in Lakerland these days that wasn’t explored.
And yet, after all of that discussion, all Thursday night’s 128-119 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in the Lakers’ season opener did was serve as a marker of the one clear and obvious truth: For the Lakers to get where so many expect them to be this season, there remains plenty of work for James and Co. to do.
“That’s all I’ve been preaching since the season started, since we got back to work,” James said after finishing with 26 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in 37 minutes. “It’s going to take patience from our team, from all of us, just to figure out one another and figure out what we’re good at, figure out what we’re not good at.”
Thursday’s game showcased everything the Lakers were expected to be — both good and bad. After consistently focusing on pushing the ball during the pre-season, Los Angeles killed Portland in fast break points (34-12). But after entering training camp with only one legitimate NBA big man, JaVale McGee, the Lakers were out-rebounded, 54-46 (14-8 on the offensive glass) and Portland secured a 21-10 edge in second-chance points. Meanwhile, a roster lacking in proven three-point shooters missed its first 15 attempts from behind the arc, and finished just 7 for 30 (23.3 per cent).
“It’s still early,” James said. “We are literally less than a month in. It’s still early. We still have to go through some things. Go through some adversity, see how guys react to it, see what gets guys going.
“For me it’s an everyday thing. Leadership is not a some time thing. It’s an everyday thing. I do that every day.”
It’s going to take more than leadership from James, though, to make these pieces fit together properly. Brandon Ingram, the second overall pick two years ago, was good defensively but had a quiet 16 points in 27 minutes. He has been pointed to as a future star sidekick alongside James, but missed all four of his three-point attempts, including a key one in the fourth quarter during Portland’s decisive run. He was benched shortly thereafter as the Lakers attempted a comeback.
“I missed shots,” Ingram said. “I got to the spots I wanted to. I’ve just got to be better. I’ll look at this film, and be better.”
Meanwhile, Lonzo Ball, the second overall pick last year, had seven points, four rebounds and an assist in 19 minutes off the bench, and was tied with Lance Stephenson with a team-worst minus-15. And as the Lakers made that push in the final few minutes, both Ball and Ingram — players the Lakers need to grow into stars alongside James if this team is going to return to championship contention — were on the bench.
Now, this was a season opener with a mostly turnedover roster, and the Lakers should get better as they learn to play together. And while Ingram and Ball were unimpressive, Josh Hart was excellent off the bench, scoring 20 points in 27 minutes and playing strong defence.
Coach Luke Walton wouldn’t commit to a lineup change post-game, but it doesn’t matter. Hart needs to be starting, and soon. Kyle Kuzma, meanwhile, had his moments as a small-ball centre off the bench.
And while the Lakers don’t have many credible threats from three-point range, they also won’t be this bad on a regular basis.
But this also served as a reminder of what life in the Western Conference is going to be like. Portland is a flawed team; outside of its terrific backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, the Blazers don’t have much firepower or skill. What they do have, however, is continuity and an identity.
The Lakers — quite understandably — don’t check either of those boxes right now, and getting there will take time. With an upcoming schedule featuring games against the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs (twice), however, things easily could get worse before they start to get better.
“Not as fast as you guys think it’s gonna happen,” James said with a smile, when asked how long it takes to build chemistry with a new team. “I always kind of compare it to instant oatmeal. It’s not that fast. It takes awhile for the chemistry to get to where you close your eyes and you know exactly where your guys are.”