“LAKER NATION, get used to this, LeBron put up a 4th quarter show in a Warriors blowout, this season is all about passing Kareem”- Skip Bayless
LeBron James' LA Lakers had a disappointing season opener versus the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, falling 123-109. The game was much more lopsided than the final score would indicate, as the Lakers trailed by as many as 27 points.
The team also shot an abysmal 25.0% (10/40) from three. Lakers superstar LeBron James still did his thing though, finishing with 31 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. James' play then prompted a reaction from notorious James hater Skip Bayless, who called the Lakers' forward out for padding his stats.
LAKER NATION: Get used to this: LeBron just put on a 4th quarter show in what had become a Warriors blowout. This season is all about Passing Kareem.
“LAKER NATION: Get used to this: LeBron just put on a 4th quarter show in what had become a Warriors blowout. This season is all about Passing Kareem,” Bayless tweeted.
LeBron James played a total of 35 minutes in the Warriors' blowout of the Lakers. Considering that James is already 37 years old and in his 20th season, it would have made sense for him to get some early season rest.
However, most NBA fans are well aware of the fact that James is chasing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record of 38,387 points. James is currently in second place at 37,093 points, just 1,294 points behind Abdul-Jabbar.
Last season, James averaged 30.3 points per game. Assuming he maintains a similar average, he should pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record in about 43 games.
However, nothing is guaranteed in the NBA and given LeBron James' age, he’s starting to become more susceptible to injury. So it’s hard to blame him for padding his stats a little bit when he’s so close to making history.
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Speaking with the media after the game, LeBron James was very candid about the LA Lakers' shooting weaknesses.
"To be completely honest, we're not a team that's constructed of great shooting. It's not like we're sitting here with a lot of lasers on our team,” James said.
James then added that it won’t deter the Lakers from shooting open shots.
“But that doesn't deter us from still trying to get great shots. When you get those opportunities, you take them, but we're not sitting here with a bunch of 40-plus (percent) career 3-point shooting guys," James said.
LeBron James on Lakers’ poor shooting in loss to Warriors: “We’re getting great looks, but it could also be teams giving us great looks. To be completely honest, we’re not a team constructed of great shooting… It’s not like we’re sitting here with a lot of lasers on our team.” https://t.co/VfqWnKcQ3D
The Lakers may not be afraid to shoot, but in a league that prioritizes shooting, it will be tough for the Lakers to remain competitive. The Lakers ranked just 22nd in team three-point percentage last season at 34.7%. They went on to finish 11th in the Western Conference at just 33-49.
Even with a healthy Anthony Davis, the team won’t be able to compete without shooting. Davis already scored 27 points on Tuesday versus the Warriors. Russell Westbrook also scored an efficient 19 points. So the Lakers got a combined 77 points from their "Big Three" and still got blown out.
Simply put, if the Lakers' role players don’t start hitting threes consistently, it could be another long year for the team. At this point, barring any drastic roster changes, just making the playoffs in the stacked Western Conference would be a big accomplishment for the Lakers.