In a Media Day interview, LeBron James made it clear he wants the Los Angeles Lakers to run their offense through Anthony Davis.
Finally, October has arrived, which means Los Angeles Lakers basketball is here. The NBA preseason has gotten underway and the regular season is right around the corer. Fans get some much-awaited NBA action and a taste of what the 2019-20 season might look like.
Obviously, preseason is a time of experimenting and putting things together for the coaches, so we cannot take seriously most of the stuff we see.
But, sometimes it helps us to get a hint of what teams are trying to do for the coming year and see what stage they are in implementing new systems and principles, involving new players and getting comfortable with all these novelties.
Obviously, the Los Angeles Lakers went through a major makeover this summer and they will need to maximize this time to get accustomed to the new coaching, and playing with one another. But a stepping stone of the team has already spoken about what it will look like coming October 23.
In his Media Day interview LeBron James said:
"We all know how great Anthony Davis is and if we are not playing through Anthony Davis while he is on the floor then makes no sense to have him on the floor, ’cause he is that great."
LeBron added that he is totally comfortable doing that since he already did it with Kyrie Irving in Cleveland.
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In this case, the Lakers’ preseason opener was an indicator of what James meant and what the Lakers‘ approach will be about. In just 18 minutes of action, Davis scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. James, starting at point guard, dished out eight assists.
While the Lakers’ starting lineup still needs to be sorted out, LeBron James might not be the titular point guard in the regular season, as seen against the Brooklyn Nets. However, he will act as a facilitator for AD, allowing him to spare his energies throughout the season and get to the playoffs fresh and rested.
Do not misunderstand, LeBron will have his role as the go-to-guy and help the team win games, but the focus will be on exploiting Davis’ skillset. Since he is such a unique talent there is no answer to him in the NBA and it is what will give the Lakers advantage in the playoffs.
So far, only four preseason games have been played and they have a long way to go to show the consistency and success everyone expects.
Anyway, a good start is always an encouraging starting point and coach Frank Vogel has the chance to build on that, testing and figuring out rotations without the pressure to find a definitive lineup which is the only one working.