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Friday's game at Oracle Arena saw the much-anticipated debuts of Russell Westbrook in a Lakers jersey, playing alongside LeBron James.
The LA Lakers slumped to their third loss in as many preseason games this season following their loss to the Golden State Warriors. But Lakers fans still had something to be excited about - Russell Westbrook playing together with LeBron James.
Russell Westbrook was acquired via trade with the Washington Wizards, which saw the departure of many franchise-favorites. Westbrook's addition makes the LA Lakers one of the favorites to win the 2021-22 NBA title. Featuring a trio of Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook, the LA Lakers' starting lineup has the potential to be a nightmare for any opposing NBA team.
However, there have also been a number of questions and doubts about Westbrook lining up together with James. With an explosive, ball-dominant guard like Russell, how would the LA Lakers distribute playmaking duties between him and an equally ball-dominant player like LeBron James?
With a ton of hype built up by the organization regarding Westbrook's chemistry with James, the LA Lakers' matchup against the Warriors has been the only barometer thus far to check how well the two would pair together.
On that note, here's a look at three things we learned from LeBron James and Russell Westbrook's preseason debut:
#1 The Russell Westbrook-LeBron James dynamic
Russell Westbrook and LeBron James each played less than 20 minutes in the game, with Anthony Davis ruled out for the matchup. However, the two saw very little floor time together.
With the alternating minutes of LeBron James and Russell Westbrook, there was very little to make a comprehensive appraisal of how well the two could perform together. What we did see, though, is that James and Westbrook alternated on playmaking duties.
While the two present ball-dominant playing styles, one of the solutions would be to let James play off the ball. However, in today's game, James played the role of playmaker with Russell Westbrook on the floor. The duties of floor general were shared by the two as the game progressed, but there was no established flow, though.
There are still some doubts about how the LA Lakers would approach this dynamic with Anthony Davis in the mix. With both James and Westbrook still finding their legs offensively, they struggled to score and fit in with the team.
#2 Russell Westbrook needs time to fit in
The issue with blockbuster trades lies in the egos that follow the players involved. Russell Westbrook is a perennial All-Star, so there is always some ego involved and rightfully so. He is a demanding teammate, and that translates to his play on the court.
Fitting in with the pace and intensity of Russell Westbrook will take time. Frank Vogel commented on that by saying that the LA Lakers would try to play to his pace as opposed to him adjusting to the Lakers'. This adjustment will take time, though, and it has to happen as a collaborative effort.
In today's game, Westbrook looked a little out of his elements. The aspect of the game that jumped off the page were his whopping six turnovers in 17 minutes of play.
That indicates that Russell Westbrook is in a position to create and contribute to the team, but there are still some adjustments to be made. It's also the first game he has played with the team against serious opposition. So this performance can be taken with a pinch of salt, as everyone in the team is working towards getting game-ready.
#3 LeBron James will have to play off ball
For the most part, this is what Lakers fans expected ahead of the preseason debuts for LeBron James and Russell Westbrook. The LA Lakers had been preaching this even before training camp. Westbrook would run the point, while James would focus on being a scorer and play off the ball.
While LeBron James has played as the primary facilitator for a large part of his career and has done so successfully with the Lakers too, it has posed a bigger challenge for him to mentally transition into becoming a scorer.
It is still too early to make these statements, but the initial optics suggest that LeBron James needs to switch to playing off the ball. By giving Russell Westbrook the keys to the offense, that would allow Westbrook to get involved with the team and assimilate in the system. More importantly, it would take the burden of playmaking off James, thus reducing the mental fatigue he has to endure.
While the LA Lakers still find a way to establish an identity with regards to their style of play, their errors in the game against the Golden State Warriors were glaring. Dwight Howard showed up as the key player for the LA Lakers along with Rajon Rondo.
As LeBron James and Russell Westbrook continue to find a way to strike a balance and find their rhythm, their combination with Anthony Davis should be something to look forward to.
