LA Lakers are set to face Golden State Warriors on the opening night of the 2021-22 NBA season. The trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook will be playing together for the first time in a game that counts. Reports reveal LeBron James struggled with a sprained ankle throughout the summer.
Despite the disappointing 0-6 record in the preseason, Lakers are positive about their chances and offseason moves. While LeBron James played only 3 games to give his body proper rest before regular season, Russell Westbrook had a horrendous debut for the Lakers. Westbrook scored a total of 38 points in 101 minutes on 35% FG. What’s more concerning is that he had a total of 23 turnovers in the 4 games that he played.
https://twitter.com/hmfaigen/status/1450194772694495233?s=20
He believes the chemistry will get better through the season and the turnovers will come down. However, this has been a problem with Westbrook his entire career. LA Lakers lost both games against Golden State Warriors in the preseason and Westbrook was single-handedly responsible for one. How they improve in the regular season against their state rivals will be interesting to see.
Also Read: NBA Injury Update: When Will Zion Williamson Return to Pelicans’ Starting Lineup?
LeBron James missed preseason due to sprained ankle
LeBron James played 3 games in the preseason and just one with Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. He amassed 56 points on 47.9% FG and 12 assists in 73 minutes which isn’t too bad for a 36-year old.
In an interview with Lakers reporter Harrison Faigen, LeBron James revealed that he didn’t do ‘basketball stuff’ in the first 2 months of the offseason. Unlike the season before, he had time to heal in the summer. He pushed himself in the gym and did other kinds of training but stayed away from the basketball court which he says is ‘rare’ for him.
LeBron James is now cleared to play like his usual self in the regular season. Coach Frank Vogel plans to play him for about 34 minutes per game. He had a career-low in minutes played last season but LeBron believes he will bounce back and play more in his 19th year in the NBA.
Lakers’ status report for the season opener against the Warriors: pic.twitter.com/BUlyAxX6Ob
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) October 19, 2021
Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington and Talen Horton Tucker are ruled out of the game against Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. Kendrick Nunn and Malik Monk are listed as probable for the season opener.
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