Granted losing to the Los Angeles Clippers on opening night was not ideal, the Los Angeles Lakers must be patient moving forward.
The fact that the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Clippers by double digits earlier this week was not necessarily what many were hoping to see. Right off the bat, there looked to be a noticeable gap between the two teams following the Lakers’ 112-102 defeat.
The Clippers looked like a tough-minded, spirited team, whereas the Lakers looked lost at times. The purple and gold’s offense was stagnate on too many occasions, and one cannot argue their defense was too much better.
The decision-making was not always on point, either. For example, there were moments where I believe LeBron James should have looked to make the safe pass instead of a fancy one. That played a role in terms of the five turnovers he had.
Frankly, the Lakers’ rotations in the last quarter of the game did not necessarily help matters, either. Swingman Danny Green was on fire from range in the third quarter, which allowed the Lakers to climb back into the game. Green got yanked from the game, though, in favor of a player who did not score a single point all night.
While the above-mentioned tells only part of the story, the worst thing the Lakers could do right now is panic. Certainly, while the Clippers appeared to be the superior L.A. team Tuesday evening, this was just the first game of the season.
Yes, I grasp that this is phrase any sports fan (including myself) hates to hear. It is one of those cliché statements designed for comfort albeit having comfort following an opening night loss is never easy.
However, it is important to bear in mind a key disparity between the two squads. The Lakers have a lot of new faces on their roster. While the Clippers have some new guys aboard as well, namely stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, there is greater continuity within that locker room.
The Clippers have more returning pieces from last season, not to mention that Doc Rivers remains the man at the helm. Conversely, Frank Vogel is in the juvenile stages of his first season with the Lakers.
That being said, it made sense as to why the Clippers were more fluid than their counterpart. Certainly, it is not to totally excuse the Lakers’ poor shot selection and miscues, but the 16-time champs are still trying to create chemistry. It is inevitable given how early it is at this point.
On that note, I really do not believe games like last night are going to be a recurring theme for the Lakers this season. The bond between James and Anthony Davis will only get stronger in the time to come. Once that duo is firing on all cylinders, the Lakers will be a tough out.
It is worth mentioning that both LeBron and AD were uncharacteristically inefficient on Tuesday. The King was 7-of-19 from the field, whereas The Brow was 8-of-21. This is not going to happen all the time, so that element alone should provide some solace.
The Lakers, alas, were also superseded on the offensive glass notwithstanding the clear size differential. Given that AD, JaVale McGee, and Dwight Howard are all on the same team, though, I do not envision the Lakers getting beaten in this department too often.
Moreover, one cannot forget that the Lakers were without two key pieces Tuesday night: Kyle Kuzma and Rajon Rondo. Having those two in uniform would have made a bit of a difference in the areas the ball club struggled in.
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Kuzma is a good shot creator that would have given the purple and gold a third option behind the duo of James/Davis. His presence could have helped nullify the damage Lou Williams inflicted on his former team.
Kuzma’s presence will naturally take away some of the burden the two Lakers stars have to carry. Of course, he is nowhere near their level, but is more than reliable with respect to scoring. The one-two punch of LBJ and AD were relied on so much by the Lakers on Tuesday, so once “Kuz” is activated, the responsibility will be a little more spread out.
Additionally, Rondo is by far one of the smartest players in basketball. His willingness to distribute the basketball would have likely given the Lakers some better looks against LAC. For that reason, he, too, would have lightened the load of LeBron especially.
On a similar vein, Alex Caruso never got into the game against the other Staples Center tenant. While not nearly as experienced as Rondo, Caruso proved last season that he is more than okay with setting up teammates for quality buckets. Thus, one cannot help but wonder if Vogel will switch up rotations in the time to come.
Albeit the Lakers went into Tuesday night with all the hype in the Milky Way, what transpired was honestly not too surprising. This is a squad that is still trying to get used to one another and figure out what clicks and what does not.
Expecting that the purple and gold were going to look like they were already in playoff mode simply was not realistic. The pieces are in place, yet it is going to require patience. It will take time for said pieces to become a collective enterprise.
On account of that factor, too much concern should not be there yet. Again, I understand that patience is not in the vocabulary of sports fans, notably Lakers’ fans.
Be that as it may, there could be a point this season where all of this early season chatter is down the drain. Tuesday evening’s rotten egg may eventually mean nothing.
Indeed, opening night revealed that the Lakers have some areas that need to be addressed. There is no denying that claim, and whether they are up to the challenge of correcting their faults is solely on their shoulders.
Without a doubt, this was not the start LAL was hoping to achieve. Nevertheless, sometimes adversity must be endured in order to gradually make the ascension to the summit of the mountain.
Everyone comprehends that the expectations are magnified in a city like Los Angeles. The Lakers have not won a title in a decade, and fans are thirsty as a result. They practically lust over the idea of this team possibly adding yet another one to their already impressive collection.
It is crucial for folks to be mindful of the fact that it was ultimately the first game. No one can refute that, and the Lakers thankfully have time to correct the problem areas they have.