What to take away from the Los Angeles Laker’s Preseason Games
In the 2022 NBA preseason, the Los Angeles Lakers not only ended with a 1-5 record but now there are more questions about the team before their season opener on October 18th against the Warriors. The Los Angeles Lakers are beginning the season with low expectations by many fans and media analysts as they are predicted to finish with a 42-40 record and the ninth seed in the Western Conference. With what went down in the preseason let’s analyze a few questions that have been raised about this Lakers team and whether can they prove everyone wrong this season.
1. Can the Lakers make it work with Russell Westbrook?
Russell Westbrook is a former MVP of the NBA who was traded to the Lakers last offseason on draft day from the Washington Wizards. Many experts and fans were quick to label the Lakers as a championship contender because of the star power they now had with Lebon James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. However, due to injuries, lack of talent surrounding the big three, and Westbrook not fitting well with the roster, the Lakers missed the mark significantly. They finished the 2021-2022 season as the 11th seed in the West and a lot of that blame was placed on Westbrook and his poor play.
The main question surrounding Westbrook after the preseason is that if the Lakers are not going to trade him, can he make it work with the team? There were moments in the preseason when Westbrook looked like he could make it work as he was making plays on both sides of the ball. However, there were also moments such as against the Timberwolves, when Westbrook appeared to be disengaged with the team, refusing to join the team huddle and a huddle in the middle of the game. With Westbrook performing poorly last season and if the Lakers do not trade him, it is critical that Westbrook plays better and leads by example. If he is willing to make the sacrifice the Lakers can be a contender in the West along with many other improvements on both sides of the ball.
2. Can the three-point shooting improve?
The Lakers last season was 22nd in the league as far as three-point shooting and they finished the preseason shooting 29% from downtown. Unless the Lakers trade Westbrook in a package centered around Buddly Hield and Miles Turner, L.A. needs to knock down their shots more consistently. Patrick Beverly will help in this department as he is a career 37.8% shooter from downtown and Kendrick Nunn is a 36.4% marksman. Lebron James has also improved his shooting over the years and Anthony Davis over the summer improved his jump shot with Lethal Shooter. Matt Ryan against the Golden State Warriors nailed six threes and he can be a solid edition off the bench if the Lakers give him a contract.
The main concern with the Lakers is that if they are forced to hold on to Westbrook, can he improve his three-point shooting to a league-average rate? Last season Russell Westbrook shot 29.8% from three which was 5.8% less than the league average. Even though Russell is not expected to be a sharpshooter such as Stephen Curry, it is concerning that a starting point guard is this ineffective from downtown. One positive note is that from the corners last season, Russell Westbrook shot a miraculous 45.1% and Russell has stated that he will focus on that area and he will shoot the ball better overall. If the Lakers trade for Buddy Hield and Miles Turner, they will get one of the best three-point shooters in the league and a center who can stretch the floor and defend at a high level. Darvin Ham has stated that he prefers two-way players who can space the floor and defend really well. The Lakers have players who fit those roles with Patrick Beverley, Dennis Schroder, and Kendrick Nunn and if Anthony Davis can stay healthy he will be added to that list as well.
3. Can Anthony Davis stay healthy?
One of the reasons why the Lakers failed to meet expectations last season that goes under the radar is Anthony Davis playing 40 games. Because of this and the history of injuries AD has, the question is can he replicate what he did in 2020 by staying healthy and helping the Lakers possibly win the championship? Anthony Davis did not play in the last preseason game due to a lower back injury and he did not play in the second game due to an injury as well. When he was on the court he showed why he is still a star in this league as against the Warriors he put up 28 points in a statement win. The problem with Anthony Davis is that he performs well when he is on the court which has not happened often over the past two seasons. Anthony Davis has to remain healthy for this team to make the playoffs and contend in the West because if he is not the Lakers will have a similar season to last season where they missed the play-in tournament all together.