The Lakers started their 2018-19 campaign outside of the friendly confines of the Staples Center, but it’s safe to say that "Showtime" is once again alive and well in LA.
There had been several questions raised about this team heading into the season after plenty of roster changes over the summer. How will this unusual group work with LeBron James? Does the addition of Rajon Rondo mean Lonzo Ball is expendable? Will the lack of 3-point shooting be the Lakers' downfall?
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Thursday night in Portland, we got our first opportunity to find some answers. Sure, it's only one game, but we actually got to see the new Lakers in action.
It's worth breaking down four key takeaways from James' first game in a Lakers uniform.
Same old LeBron James
James is still the best player in the game, and he showed why right out of the gate. James was aggressive early on both ends of the floor. His two first-quarter dunks got the crowd buzzing. He ended the first half with 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists on 6-of-10 shooting from the field.
Father Time comes for every player, but James is still keeping him at a safe distance. He finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in 37 minutes. He brought great energy, and his teammates followed suit.
James will have no choice but to bring that same energy to the court in every game this season. The Lakers simply don’t have enough talent for him to take nights off, and it showed as Portland pulled away late in the fourth quarter.
This is not the Eastern Conference. Aside from the Suns and Kings, every game against a Western Conference opponent will be a challenge. It will be interesting to see if James can keep up this pace as the season progresses.
Yes, shooting is a problem for the Lakers
The biggest criticism of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka's roster construction this past offseason was the lack of outside shooting surrounding LeBron. You can’t win in today’s NBA without 3-point threats. That had been the recipe for success in both Cleveland and Miami with a number of spot-up specialists opening driving lanes and waiting for James to whip pinpoint passes to the perimeter.
Well, those questions are only going to get louder after the Lakers shot 7-of-30 (23.3 percent) from 3-point range in their opener. They missed all 12 of their 3-point attempts in the first half and did not connect on their first 3-pointer until the 2:22 mark of the third quarter.
There is something to be said about rust and getting into the flow of a real game, but this Lakers roster offers no reasons to believe that Los Angeles will suddenly become an average 3-point shooting team throughout the year.
If the Lakers are unable to improve from the outside, they will have a very difficult time competing in the stacked West.
Rondo won’t give up his spot without a fight
As expected, Rondo was given the starting nod at point guard. He has said all the right things during the offseason when asked about his role on this Lakers team and serving as a mentor to Ball.
But Rondo is not in LA to sit on the bench and make sure the former first-round pick continues to develop. When healthy and engaged, Rondo is still an effective point guard.
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Yes, Ball had offseason knee surgery and is not back to full speed after missing the majority of the preseason. But the questions that arose after his first year remain. His improved shooting motion is a good sign, but his percentages will need to rise before his those shooting woes can be put to bed.
Everything changes when James is in town, and while LeBron and the Lakers have tried to downplay the "win-now" narrative, head coach Luke Walton is going to play the guys that give them the best chance to win. Rondo’s double-double (13 points, 11 assists) will do nothing to quiet the whispers that he is the best option for the Lakers at the point.
James sees Rondo as an equal. Rondo did plenty of communicating as the primary leader Thursday night, and that's something LeBron didn't have in Cleveland. It could spell trouble for Ball moving forward.
Lakers' youngsters show their worth
With the offseason additions of multiple veterans, there were some concerns about how the Lakers' young core would react and fit in. Walton went with a starting five of James, Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Brandon Ingram and JaVale McGee. But the young guys did get their run.
Ingram was the obvious second option from the tip. He finished with 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting. Josh Hart had a fantastic shooting night (8-of-12 from the field, 3-of-5 from 3-point range) and hustled all over the floor defensively, totaling 20 points, four rebounds, three steals and two blocks off the bench.
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Kyle Kuzma struggled with his shot (5-of-15 from the field, 1-of-7 from beyond the arc), managing an inefficient 15 points and five boards, but he didn't lose his aggression with the second unit. Ball finished with seven points in only 19 minutes of action.
These four players will be forced to adjust to their new roles. The veterans that were acquired in the offseason are all in LA to play. That's how it works when LeBron is in town.
Only 81 more to go.