3 things we learned from LeBron James and Russell Westbrook's preseason debut for the LA Lakers
Friday's game at Oracle Arena saw the much-anticipated debuts of Russell Westbrook in a Lakers jersey, playing alongside LeBron James.
The LA Lakers slumped to their third loss in as many preseason games this season following their loss to the Golden State Warriors. But Lakers fans still had something to be excited about - Russell Westbrook playing together with LeBron James.
Lakers Guard @russwest44! #NBAPreseason https://t.co/Li3R5KbveO
Russell Westbrook was acquired via trade with the Washington Wizards, which saw the departure of many franchise-favorites. Westbrook's addition makes the LA Lakers one of the favorites to win the 2021-22 NBA title. Featuring a trio of Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook, the LA Lakers' starting lineup has the potential to be a nightmare for any opposing NBA team.
However, there have also been a number of questions and doubts about Westbrook lining up together with James. With an explosive, ball-dominant guard like Russell, how would the LA Lakers distribute playmaking duties between him and an equally ball-dominant player like LeBron James?
With a ton of hype built up by the organization regarding Westbrook's chemistry with James, the LA Lakers' matchup against the Warriors has been the only barometer thus far to check how well the two would pair together.
On that note, here's a look at three things we learned from LeBron James and Russell Westbrook's preseason debut:
#1 The Russell Westbrook-LeBron James dynamic
Russell Westbrook and LeBron James each played less than 20 minutes in the game, with Anthony Davis ruled out for the matchup. However, the two saw very little floor time together.
With the alternating minutes of LeBron James and Russell Westbrook, there was very little to make a comprehensive appraisal of how well the two could perform together. What we did see, though, is that James and Westbrook alternated on playmaking duties.
While the two present ball-dominant playing styles, one of the solutions would be to let James play off the ball. However, in today's game, James played the role of playmaker with Russell Westbrook on the floor. The duties of floor general were shared by the two as the game progressed, but there was no established flow, though.
"Everything isn't going to be figured out right now. We've got a long year...we'll figure it out." Russell Westbrook talks with @LakersReporter following his first preseason game with the Lakers. https://t.co/n0xPkIbUNl
There are still some doubts about how the LA Lakers would approach this dynamic with Anthony Davis in the mix. With both James and Westbrook still finding their legs offensively, they struggled to score and fit in with the team.