LeBron James Says Lakers Are 'Not a Team Constructed of Great Shooting' After Loss
LeBron James lamented the lack of shooters on the Los Angeles Lakers' roster after an opening-night 123-109 loss to the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.
L.A. knocked down just 10 of its 40 three-point attempts in the contest, including a 5-of-24 mark from its starting five:
The Lakers didn't undergo the massive roster transformation that was expected after missing the playoffs last season. Instead, they relied on smaller changes around the core trio of James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook.
Two of the key additions, Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV, jumped right into the starting lineup Tuesday but failed to make a game-changing impact, combining for eight total points.
Kendrick Nunn was the biggest bright spot from the Lakers' depth group, connecting on a trio of threes en route to 13 points off the bench. The 6'3" guard was making his return after missing the 2021-22 campaign with a knee injury.
Los Angeles didn't go down without a fight in the opener, scoring 38 points as part of a fourth-quarter comeback attempt, but it wasn't enough to catch Stephen Curry and Golden State. The Warriors made 16 threes to open their latest title defense.
One game doesn't make or break a season, but James isn't wrong when discussing the lack of pure shooters on the roster. That's why Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield made so much sense when he was linked to L.A. in trade rumors over the summer.
It's an area the Lakers' front office will need to address during the season if they're going to emerge as contenders. For now, new head coach Darvin Ham wants to see the team work on its collective mindset when things don't go right.
"Whether you make a shot or you miss a shot, you turn the ball over, whatever, you've got to have a short memory and get on to the next play immediately," Ham told reporters. "That has to be something that's in our fabric, not just against Golden State but against the entire league."
That said, why the Lakers didn't make bolder moves during the offseason, starting with a Westbrook deal to create some financial flexibility, remains a mystery.
One thing's for sure: L.A. doesn't want a second straight season where it's merely fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament during the final weeks, so getting off to a strong start is essential in trying to avoid another nightmare like last season.
It puts pressure on James and Co. to showcase progress toward avoiding that fate. Next up is a clash with the rival Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.
