Foot and ankle issues prevented LeBron James from playing with his new teammates until Wednesday night, but he liked what he saw as the revamped Lakers hammered the Pelicans. Dave McMenamin of ESPN points out that James’ return resulted in L.A.’s 30th different starting lineup in 59 games, but the combination of him with Anthony Davis and the newly acquired D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt was effective right away.
Russell and Beasley provide what James calls “lasers” — outside shooters that the Lakers lacked earlier this season. Vanderbilt brings more size and energy to the front line and the team has more depth as well, with 10 players logging at least 15 minutes against New Orleans.
“First of all, I shout out and salute the guys that left,” James said. “(Russell Westbrook), (Patrick Beverley), (Juan Toscano-Anderson), (Damian Jones) and Thomas (Bryant). Those five guys. We all started the season together and tried to work to make some things happen and be the best that we could be out on the floor. So I salute those guys and their commitment to us trying to be as good as we could be on the floor. And right now, I mean, I like the guys that we have coming in. I mean, it’s going to take some time for us to get to know one another, but I know that they play the game at a high level.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The finding by team doctors that Gary Payton II has a core muscle injury that will prevent him from playing for at least a month had a “devastating effect” on the Warriors, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Golden State brought back Payton to shore up a shaky defense, but he’s not expected to be on the court until well after the All-Star break.
- Draymond Green called out the Warriors‘ defensive effort after giving up 134 points in Tuesday’s loss, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “It has to come from within,” Green said. “Defense is all about will, a want to defend. Defense isn’t fun. You’ve just got to do it if you want to win, and we haven’t.”
- In an interview with Joseph Bien-Kahn of GQ, Clippers star Paul George talks about maturing as a player, his approach to pressure situations and the “guilt” he felt watching the Pacers break up after his devastating leg injury in 2014. As a native of Southern California, George also said, “A championship with the Clippers 100% will outweigh a championship being with the Lakers.”
Not the Warriors year. As a realistic Warriors fan, they are are not better than the Suns, Mavs, Nuggets or Clippers so at best they are 5 (not saying they are 5th best, but at best that’s where they’d be) in the West. If you add the East: Boston, Philadelphia and perhaps Cleveland are better so overall “at best” they are 7/8th best team in the NBA. Better switch to actually playing the young guys rather than destroying them and aiming for next year.
You could be right. Warriors FO expected much contribution from Wiseman and Moody and that was a huge mistake. At the same time, Warriors will be tough in a 7 game series if Wiggins can play like last yr, because we know the trio will bring it.
“He liked what he saw as the revamped Lakers hammed the Pelicans. ”
Hammered, maybe? :) I liked that!
Actually with Darvin at the helm they are trying to make “Ham” a verb. Kind of like when Spurs win, “you got Popped.”
Lakers trade Westbrook, Nunn Beverley for 6 young players
Grade A
Lakers are a way better team than they won Champ in 2020
If Lakers win championship this year, ……
DLo,2nd pick
Bamba 6th pick
Rui 9th pick
Before the word was that Payton would need to miss months to recover. Now it’s just weeks? They really exaggerating just to try to get a harsher consequence for the little surprise they got. Will just make it harder to take them at face value next time they want to complain.
Original reports were up to 3 months. So far he has been out 1 week and in 3 weeks they will make another determination. So Portland lied about him be healthy even if its only 1 month.
GP2 played unbelievably well last yr and he was the the most inspiring story to never having an nba contract to a champion. He was indeed a difference maker. That being said, I am a bit worried about him. He acts like he’s a star and made it to the “big time”. You can see he was complacent after getting his $$ and he didnt work hard enough in the offseason. He cant get big headed and he needs to work as hard as ever at 30. Without hard work and perseverance, GP2 is nothing. STAY HUNGRY GP2!!!