"We weren’t on the damn floor together" - LeBron James outlines reason for lack of chemistry between LA Lakers’ big 3
LeBron James, among others in the LA Lakers organization, gave his exit interview after the team finished their regular season with an overtime win against the Denver Nuggets. Although the season ended with flair, the story throughout the season was completely different.
The coming together of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook didn’t quite pan out the way it was imagined. The trio have played just 21 games together this season, winning 11 of those games. As injuries sidelined Davis and James for frequent stretches of the season, the trio struggled to find chemistry.
LeBron says the fit with AD and Russ didn't work this season is "because we weren't on the damn floor together."
LeBron James, when asked why the trio didn’t work well together, responded by saying:
“At the end of the day, the reason why we were not very good together is because we weren’t on the damn floor together. That is the No. 1 thing. I mean, how many games did we play together? We played, what, a quarter of the season together? Less than a quarter of a season. I played more games with my high school teammates in a season, and we only played 27 games. So, there it is.”
While Westbrook’s lack of form and Davis’ injury trouble has been the highlight when talking about the LA Lakers’ poor season, a complete change in the roster was also concerning. Apart from LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Talen Horton-Tucker, all the players were new to the roster – adding more responsibility on Frank Vogel’s shoulders.
Austin Reaves joins Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Magic Johnson and Lonzo Ball as the only rookies with a triple-double in Lakers history.
🟣 31 Pts
🟣 16 Reb
🟣 10 Ast https://t.co/jwWtkhtUjU
What made it worse was signing a bunch of older players who just could not keep up to the pace that the game is played today. With teams focusing on offensive output, moving the ball around to find the best available shot has become a priority.
Russell Westbrook and LeBron James are both the kind of players who need the ball in their hands, which is probably why Westbrook struggled to find his footing alongside his dominant teammate. Chemistry is of utmost importance for a team that is contending for the title, and the Lakers’ troubles made that even more evident.
LeBron James still determined to win championships
In year 19, LeBron James found another gear, exploding on the offensive end of the floor. He played 56 games throughout the season, averaging 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists. James even surpassed Karl Malone in the All-Time scoring list – to take second place. He put up the numbers with ease, but closing out games was still difficult.
"19 years in the league and he still has the hops"
Check out the Best Dunks from @KingJames' 19th season in the league presented by @att! #ATTSlamDunk https://t.co/nuHJYMPN0L
However, having donned the Purple & Gold, James mentioned his goals for next season:
“I came here to win a championship and I want to win more.”
James now has enough time to heal from his ankle injury and prepare for next season. Meanwhile, the LA Lakers will have tough decisions to make – in order to strengthen the roster and be able to deliver a championship.