Lakers' new star trio could be unstoppable … or combustible

LOS ANGELES — In just a few plays, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook demonstrated how they can become the NBA’s most dominant trio. In just a few plays, James, Davis and Westbrook also showed how they can become the NBA’s most dysfunctional trio.

Not that any of the highlight reels and blunders mattered that much. Their first game together coincided with the Lakers’ 111-99 preseason loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday at Staples Center. Never do NBA championship teams look the same in October as they do in June. Never do their opponents for that matter considering the Warriors rested stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

“James said, “We’re displaying patience towards the process, acknowledging that there will be times of frustration. There will be instances when we feel like we’re regressing. But nothing valuable comes without effort.”

Nonetheless, it is evident from just a single game that James, Davis, and Westbrook each display a myriad of strengths and weaknesses.

The strengths?

Davis (20 points), James (17 points, four assists) and Westbrook (10 points, 10 rebounds, six assists) offered plenty of scoring punch, partly fueled by their offensive brilliance and partly fueled by their defensive execution.

"It's all about being patient with the process and understating that we're going to have frustrating moments." LeBron James with @LakersReporter on being patient with the #Lakers building chemistry & understanding with a largely new roster. pic.twitter.com/uYrkZVz3ir

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 13, 2021

Westbrook linked up with James during fast-breaks and also assisted Davis for simple shots. He demonstrated a capability to either attack during transition or pass the opportunity to a less guarded teammate. These attributes contributed significantly to the Lakers’ trio spurring a 15-6 streak within the first 4:06 minutes of the third quarter.

“Seeing Me, Bron, and Russ in action, we witnessed some great things,” said Davis.

The weaknesses?

James and Westbrook, with six and five turnovers respectively, made numerous mistakes, due in part to their frantic gameplay and lack of familiarity with each other. Westbrook made risky passes into the post and across the court. Both he and James lost control of the ball when they drove inside.

Westbrook did not even score until midway through the second quarter. Following the Lakers’ double-digit run to open the second half, the Warriors went on a 21-3 tear with all three of those stars on the floor.

“During the season, we will experience highs and lows, and face adversities,” said Westbrook. “What’s important is that we grow together and remain on the same page.”

James, Davis, and Westbrook have the potential to be the driving force behind the Lakers’ second championship in three seasons. However, they also run the risk of failing at the most crucial moment.

Anthony Davis tells @LakersReporter what he liked from the #Lakers Big Three in tonight's preseason matchup at Staples. pic.twitter.com/81giKoqNa2

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 13, 2021

How long will it take for the stars of the Lakers to properly understand how to operate their engine?

“Honestly, I don’t have an answer for that,” said Westbrook. “I realize it’s a question that keeps coming up, but no one really has a definitive answer. Like all other teams, we’ll play and figure it out. It’s not necessary to have it all figured out by the first game on Oct. 18 or 19.”

The Lakers have one more preseason game in Sacramento on Thursday (10 p.m ET, NBA TV) before their actual season opener next week. Then, the Lakers will play a Warriors team that will feature Curry’s long-range shooting skills and Green’s defensive intensity. After that, the Lakers then face the Phoenix Suns, which dropped L.A. in the first round of the playoffs en route to a Finals berth in 2021.

Despite the challenging initial games, it may be difficult to imagine the Lakers struggling with a 1-4 start as they did during the 2012-13 season. Following this, the Lakers have games that they could potentially win against teams that are in the process of rebuilding. These games include matches in San Antonio (Oct. 26), Oklahoma City (Oct. 27), and a three-game homestand against Cleveland (Oct. 29) and Houston (Oct. 31, Nov. 2).

Having not won any of their first five exhibition games, L.A. is potentially following the same path as the 2012-13 team. That team, which attempted to blend new key players (Dwight Howard, Steve Nash) with existing stars (Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol), ended the preseason with an 0-8 record.

"Nobody has an answer for that…we're going to play and figure it out. We have one goal in mind and that's to win a championship." Russell Westbrook on when the #Lakers stars will start to 'click'. pic.twitter.com/UUBOsZ6zr3

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 13, 2021

“Reaching our peak performance might require the whole year,” said Lakers coach Frank Vogel prior to the game. “We aim to be in top form just as we enter the playoffs. However, we are determined to start off strong and maintain as much momentum as possible right from the outset.”

Once the game started, the Lakers certainly took off with great enthusiasm, but that resulted in some overzealousness.

Carmelo Anthony took a 3-pointer with just one second to spare on the shot clock, closing the first play and earning him a trip to the free-throw line. Despite sinking those foul shots, Anthony missed the next two plays. After Davis blocked a shot, Westbrook and James made consecutive turnovers. However, nearly two minutes after, James managed to score six points in a span of 30 seconds, courtesy of the Lakers’ defense and Westbrook’s playmaking abilities.

The Lakers are focused on making sure that their trio performs better on the court, with more successes than mistakes, obviously. They also admit that their exhibition play may accurately reflect what will happen in the regular season. To be a part of the Lakers’ journey, one might have to endure the frustrating errors as part of the experience while also enjoying the thrilling highs.

“Expecting some rough nights early in the season is reasonable,” said Vogel. “However, we anticipated the same two years ago, but managed to start quite strong. We’re hoping for a similar outcome this time.”

However, the Lakers’ situation two seasons ago is drastically different from their current one.

Undeniably, the Lakers faced a multitude of challenges that season. Their training camp in China was interrupted. They endured the tragic loss of Kobe and Gianna Bryant. Amidst a global pandemic, they put a halt to the season, only to resume three months later in a restricted campus bubble, ultimately clinching the NBA title.

Regarding the challenges of strategy and gameplay? Initially, the Lakers had to determine how to seamlessly blend James and Davis with a new coach and eight new supporting players. However, the Lakers quickly discovered that James and Davis had a perfect synergy. James fulfilled his promise to make Davis the primary offensive player, while Davis allowed James to take control of the offense.

This season, the Lakers need to determine how ball handling duties will be split between James and Westbrook. They also need to decide on their pace of play and how frequently they will pass to Davis, other teammates, or keep the ball for themselves.

Beyond ironing out chemistry with their three main stars, the Lakers already have some dents in their championship armor. Veteran forward Trevor Ariza (ankle) is out at least seven more weeks, third-year guard Talen Horton-Tucker (thumb) will miss another month while Wayne Ellington (left hamstring), Malik Monk (right groin) and Kendrick Nunn (right ankle) are also nursing mild injuries.

“As a leader, my primary responsibility is to keep myself from getting frustrated,” stated James. “I believe my calm demeanor will influence the rest of the team. I have always strived for excellence, but I recognize that things take time. As long as I maintain focus on the main goal and remain composed regardless of what’s happening with our team, I believe we’ll be alright.”

The Lakers intend to rely heavily on James and Davis, as they have done in the previous two seasons, to highlight their strengths and mask their weaknesses. While the Lakers aim to build chemistry with Westbrook quickly, they have also been careful to separate James and Davis from him. This allows James to continue functioning as the point guard and scoring in isolation, and for Davis to receive passes from seasoned guard Rajon Rondo. Rondo has been recognized by the Lakers for his outspokenness during practice, film sessions, and coaching meetings.

“All our news guys will experience this, not just Russ,” Vogel stated, referring to James and Davis. “They are the most accustomed to our system and each other. They will shoulder the bulk of the responsibility, but we require everyone to start strong.”

This all underscores the dilemma faced by rapidly assembled star teams.

“Most of this typically requires time,” stated Steve Kerr, the coach of the Warriors. “The positive aspect is that when you have players who desire to stay united, they commit to each other. That appears to be our situation. All our players are keen to stay together. They’re going to work it out. They’re all intelligent and excellent players.”

Hence, it is improbable that the Lakers will relive the 2012-13 disaster, which involved Bryant, Howard, Gasol, and Nash all disagreeing on how to integrate their skills. These Lakers have discussed forming a strong bond during a casual camp in Las Vegas, movie sessions, and group messages. However, it might be a bit of a stretch to draw inspiration from other teams of championship quality.

Kerr admitted that the Warriors, including Kevin Durant, faced a learning curve during their initial 2016-17 season together. However, they swiftly secured back-to-back NBA titles thanks to Durant’s successful integration of his scoring abilities with Curry and Klay Thompson. Meanwhile, James definitely understands the dynamics of working with Miami’s Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, as well as Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. However, both Miami and Cleveland only managed to clinch an NBA title after first experiencing defeat in The Finals. The Lakers may not have the opportunity to exercise such patience this season.

“Each challenge differs from the next. Each year is unique,” declared James. “I can’t compare any former team or situation to this current year. This year is focused on the amount of effort we can invest and our will to continually improve.”

This year also focuses on the extent to which James, Davis, and Westbrook can merge their skills. The sight could be both stunning and unsightly.

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Mark Medina is a senior writer/analyst for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.

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