"LeBron won't say it, but he's thinking it's a lot more difficult than he thought" - Shannon Sharpe expresses concern about the LA Lakers' chemistry issues
LeBron James and the LA Lakers have had their chemistry issues this season. That is something James is concerned about and acutely aware of but won't admit publicly, as per American sports pundit Shannon Sharpe.
LeBron James and the LA Lakers have got off to a rough start to their 2021-22 NBA campaign. They lost consecutive games before eking out a narrow win against the Memphis Grizzlies.
It was evident the Lakers would need time to address chemistry issues and on-court fit when half their roster has new faces. Learning both defensive and offensive schemes is a process that usually takes at least half a season, irrespective of how talented or smart a player might be. Hence, it wasn't a surprise to see Russell Westbrook struggle during the first three games.
Any team that has LeBron James on its roster always has heightened expectations and a very short span of time to achieve their goals. However, considering the way the Lakers have started the season, the process of getting things together and working as a cohesive unit might take longer than what James would have envisaged.
NFL Hall-of-Famer and television personality Shannon Sharpe was quick to point that out while discussing Westbrook and the Lakers' first road trip. Sharpe said that he wasn't expecting things to click all of a sudden for the Lakers and that James would have found the challenge more difficult than he initially thought. Here's what he said in an appearance on FS1's Skip and Shannon: Undefeated:
"I'm not expecting them to wake up and think it's all of a sudden going to click. LeBron won't say it, but he's thinking it's a lot more difficult than he thought."
.@ShannonSharpe on what he expects from Westbrook and the Lakers in first road game:
"I'm not expecting them to wake up and think it's all of a sudden going to click. LeBron won't say it, but he's thinking it's a lot more difficult than he thought." https://t.co/yJaNJE0mMN
Shannon's concerns are not at all surprising, and that's something that might be on the minds of most Lakers fans. Having said that, the Lakers roster consists of four future first-ballot Hall-of-Famers who are some of the smartest veterans to play the game. They are players who have dealt with adversity before, so they should eventually figure out a way to make things work.
Will LeBron James be able to resolve the Lakers' chemistry issues in time for postseason?
LeBron James is a basketball savant and one of the smartest players to ever grace the hardwood. He has shown the ability to put teammates in the right spots time and again while helping his team become better collectively.
James is someone who demands the best from both himself and his team, and has more often than not found a way to make things work. He leads from the front and organizes team dinners and other events to help create a bond off the court, which is essential for developing chemistry on the court.
The 2020 championship team, which had a similar number of new faces compared to the team right now, is a primary example of an off-court bonding leading to on-court chemistry. That was possible, thanks to the efforts of Jared Dudley and LeBron James.
This is fun to watch. Lakers team chemistry 📉📉📉📉📉⬇️ #Lakers #BeatLA #Suns https://t.co/mZBFG2GoLC
As things stand right now, the likes of James, Rondo and AD will have to huddle up and resolve the glaring chemistry issues if the Lakers wish to win their second championship in three years this season.
Also check out: Lebron James’ Finals Appearances and stats