5 Things we learned from LeBron James' first Lakers game

The Lakers' 2018-19 campaign is finally off and running as they played their first preseason game today, losing 124-107 to the Denver Nuggets. It was a game filled with enough sloppy play to command a Shaqtin-a-Fool compilation of its own, but there were a few clear signs that onlookers can take to the bank and brood over as the Lakers get into gear for regular season play.

The preseason campaign in the NBA can be misleading. Success or failure here isn’t always a good predictor of what will happen in the regular season. Minutes are distributed differently nd coaches feel empowered to experiment with their lineups in order to gauge who fits best against specific opponents.

Luke Walton certainly used the opportunity to the fullest, and our first glimpse at the new-look Lakers did provide plenty to take away. The sample size is ridiculously small so take everything with a grain of salt, but here’s what we learned on Sunday night.

#1 The King will pick up where he left off last season

LeBron, aged 33 right now and due to turn 34 before the turn of the calendar, is pretty much the same player that he was this past summer. He barely played 15 minutes today, but what we saw was a typical LeBron show when he got the ball.

Easily the best player on the planet today, James spent most of his time off the ball, resulting in a flowing Lakers offense that managed to get every player on the floor involved in the absence of a dominant ball-hoarder. When he did get the ball, James made the kind of plays we've now come to expect of him, dishing to cutters and able to find the open man on set plays.

He didn't try to score much, but the moves he did put on the court made it amply clear that he's still exploring his peak years. Come regular season, expect him to flirt with a 30 point scoring average in addition to increased rebounding numbers.

#2 But he will have to play extended minutes as a center

The increased rebounding we talked about will result partly from James lining up at center in the Lakers' small ball lineups. LeBron has taken on this role before as well, famously during his Heat years, but also occasionally for the Cavaliers during his second stint in Cleveland.

The Lakers will be looking to play off him as a point center in lineups which won't contain a typical point guard like Lonzo or Rondo. Other playmakers like Lance Stephenson, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart will have the chance to run the ball up the floor and hand over the reins to LeBron in some of those possessions.

The Lakers' experiment with him at the 5 position began late in the first quarter and barely lasted a couple of minutes. It's an idea that's obviously still in the works as Luke Walton strives to find his best lineups in preseason, but all signs from the game point to LeBron taking on this role for good.

#3 The Lakers will run a Showtime offense with Rondo at the helm

With the majority of the Lakers' core being young and in the best shape of their lives as athletes, they were expected to push the ball on the fast break and play an uptempo style in half-court sets to use that athleticism in its best possible form. That vision seems to have come to fruition, and Rondo continues to wow fans of pure point guard play with his genial play-calling and ability to provide pin-point passes to his man right on the money.

With 11 assists and just 3 attempts in 23 minutes of game time, Rondo ran the show for the Lakers as they capitalized on a number of transition opportunities. While the pick-and-roll was a staple of LeBron-led teams in the past, we did not see much play develop in that scenario during this encounter with the Nuggets.

Something tells me we should expect to see a full-court alley-oop from Rondo to LeBron on the fast break before long.

#4 Kuzma and Ingram are going to feast

With nearly every Laker possessing the ability to create their own shot, Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram, who were the franchise's volume scorers when available last season, can expect to get an assortment of the choicest passes in the league from the likes of LeBron, Rondo and Lonzo.

Ingram was an enthusiastic cutter today, and he connected with LeBron on 2 occasions in spectacular fashion. Kuzma is more of a spot-up shooter than a cutter, but he got his own fair share of shots up today in those scenarios.

The availability of other secondary scorers on the squad is likely to supercharge the scoring games for both of these young studs. Concerns over whether they will get enough minutes to develop to their full potential are understandable and contain substance, but they are unlikely to stop the Lakers from being an offensive juggernaut.

#5 But the Lakers need a facelift on defense

One major area of concern that became amply clear is that the Lakers are wafer-thin on the defensive front. On top of not having a reliable backup center for JaVale, who will likely play 20-odd minutes per game because of his fouling tendencies and overall playing style, the Lakers' best perimeter defenders will likely not be members of their clutch lineups at the start of the season.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Lonzo Ball, the two defenders I'm talking about, are the only respectable perimeter defenders on their roster, but both blow hot and cold from range and will have to win their share of minutes in the presence of superior scorers on the roster. Kuzma is positively a sieve, Ingram's instincts are not elite while Josh Hart is too undersized to guard the biggest wings in the league.

Lance Stephenson, Michael Beasley and Rondo are all bad defenders - Rondo has good instincts but has lost his lateral speed from his peak days and is now prime pick-and-roll fodder. LeBron himself is ageing and that is clearest on the defensive side of the game, and he needs better personnel to establish the Lakers as an elite Western Conference playoff team.

Edited by Prathik R