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 stated, “We understand that we need to be patient with the process and that there will be times of frustration. There will also be instances where it seems like we’re regressing. But nothing of value comes without hard work.”

Nonetheless, a single game is enough to expose the numerous strengths and weaknesses that James, Davis, and Westbrook possess.

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 teamed up with James on fast-breaks and also assisted Davis in securing effortless baskets. He demonstrated a capacity to both initiate a transition attack and defer that chance to a teammate who was more open. These traits greatly contributed to the Lakers’ impressive 15-6 run in the initial 4:06 minutes of the third quarter.

“Davis said, “We observed some impressive things when Me, Bron, and Russ were in action.”

The weaknesses?

James with six turnovers and Westbrook with five contributed significantly to the game’s errors, partly due to their aggressive play style and partly due to their lack of familiarity with each other’s strategies. Westbrook attempted risky passes into the post and across the court. Both he and James also lost possession after driving to the basket.

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’ll experience highs and lows, and face adversity,” said Westbrook. “The important thing is we’ll grow together and stay 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, there is also a risk that they may falter at the most critical time.

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 understand how to properly operate their engine?

“Honestly, I don’t have an answer for that,” admitted Westbrook. “I understand it’s a question on everyone’s mind. But, like all teams, we’ll figure it out in due time. There’s no urgency to solve it by October 18 or 19, whenever the first game is scheduled.”

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 difficulties faced in the initial games, it could be quite surprising to imagine the Lakers struggling with a 1-4 start as they did in the 2012-13 season. They subsequently have potentially successful games against teams that are currently rebuilding, such as those in San Antonio (Oct. 26), in Oklahoma City (Oct. 27), and a three-match homestand against Cleveland (Oct. 29) and Houston (Oct. 31, Nov. 2).

L.A.’s failure to win any of their five exhibition games sets them on track to reflect the 2012-13 team. That team, which unsuccessfully attempted to blend new stars like Dwight Howard and Steve Nash with established ones like Kobe Bryant and 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 could potentially take the entire year,” stated Frank Vogel, Lakers coach, prior to the game. “Ideally, we would like to enter the playoffs at our best. However, we’re determined to start strong and get things working as efficiently as possible right out of the gate.”

Once the game started, the Lakers certainly began with great energy and speed, but this resulted in some excessive enthusiasm.

The initial play concluded with Carmelo Anthony shooting a 3-pointer with only one second remaining on the shot clock, which led to his free-throw attempts. After successfully making these foul shots, Anthony missed on the subsequent two plays. After a block by Davis, Westbrook and James made turnovers in back-to-back possessions. However, almost two minutes thereafter, James managed to score six points within a 30-second interval, courtesy of the Lakers’ defense and Westbrook’s playmaking.

The Lakers are determined to ensure that the trio’s performance on the court consists of more successes than mistakes, naturally. They also admitted that their exhibition play is likely to reflect their regular season performance. To be part of the Lakers’ journey, tolerating the frustrating errors may be the required price for experiencing the thrilling victories.

“Expecting some rough nights early in the season is reasonable,” said Vogel. “However, two years ago, we had the same expectation and yet we started out strong. That’s what we’re aiming for again.”

However, the situation of the Lakers two seasons ago is starkly different from their current circumstances.

Undeniably, the Lakers faced a great deal of challenges during that season. Their training camp in China was disrupted. The team was struck by the tragic death of Kobe and Gianna Bryant. The season was halted due to a worldwide pandemic and then resumed after three months in a bubble campus, eventually resulting in their NBA title win.

Regarding the tactical challenges of the X’s and O’s? The Lakers were initially faced with the task of determining how James and Davis would mesh under a new coach and alongside eight new role players. However, it quickly became apparent that James and Davis were a perfect match. James fulfilled his promise to make Davis the central figure in offense, while Davis willingly allowed James to take charge of the offensive operations.

This season, the Lakers need to determine the division of ball handling between James and Westbrook, establish their pace of play, and decide how frequently they will pass to Davis, other team members, or take shots 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 my frustration in check,” James commented. “I believe if I can maintain my composure, it will have a positive influence on everyone else. I’ve always strived for excellence and have never been content with mediocrity. However, I also understand that things take time. As long as I stay focused on the main goal and remain steady regardless of our team’s situation, I believe we’ll be fine.”

Just as they have done in the past two seasons, the Lakers intend to rely heavily on James and Davis to highlight their strong points and compensate for their weaknesses. While the Lakers are eager to foster chemistry with Westbrook, they have also strategically distanced James and Davis from him. This allows James to continue to lead the team and score independently, and Davis to continue to catch passes from veteran guard Rajon Rondo, who has been commended by the Lakers for his vocal contributions in practice, film sessions, and coaches meetings.

“Every one of our news guys will experience this, not just Russ,” Vogel explained, referring to James and Davis. “They are the most accustomed to our system and each other. They’ll shoulder the majority of the responsibility, but we need everyone to be ready and quick off the mark.”

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

“Generally, many of these things require time,” said Steve Kerr, the coach of the Warriors. “The positive aspect is that if the players desire to be a team, they will commit to each other. It appears to be the scenario here. They all are eager to be together. They’re going to work it out. They’re all intelligent and excellent players.”

Hence, it is improbable that the Lakers will experience a repeat of the 2012-13 disaster, which involved Bryant, Howard, Gasol, and Nash disagreeing about how to combine their skills. The current Lakers have discussed forming a strong bond during an unofficial camp in Las Vegas, movie viewings, and group chats. However, it could be a bit far-fetched to seek motivation from other teams of championship quality.

Kerr admitted that the Warriors and Kevin Durant faced a learning period in their first season together, 2016-17. However, thanks to Durant’s successful integration of his scoring with Curry and Thompson, the Warriors quickly secured back-to-back NBA titles. James, on the other hand, can reflect on his experiences working with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, and Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love in Cleveland. However, neither Miami nor Cleveland clinched an NBA title until after a loss in The Finals. This season, the Lakers may not have the privilege of such patience.

James stated, “No two challenges are alike, just as no two years are the same. I can’t compare any past team or situation to this year. This year is focused on the amount of effort we can exert and the level of ambition we possess to continually improve.”

This year also revolves around how well James, Davis, and Westbrook can merge their skills. The outcome could be both spectacular and chaotic to observe.

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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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