LeBron James and Russell Westbrook had loads to say just after Lakers' loss to Warriors

If determining whether to start Russell Westbrook was Darvin Ham’s first massive check as Lakers head coach, finding up the parts right after wild postgame opinions is surely the next.

With the Clippers up following in a 10-recreation gauntlet to start off the period, Westbrook and LeBron James place some of the Lakers’ uncomfortable truths squarely in the spotlight.

First, following the team’s 123-109 loss to the Warriors in the opener, Westbrook said his hamstring damage was “absolutely” associated to coming off the bench in the team’s preseason finale.

“I’ve been doing the exact same matter for 14 yrs straight. Honestly, I didn’t even know what to do pregame,” Westbrook mentioned. “Being honest, I was trying to figure out how to stay warm and free. For me, clearly the way I participate in the activity, it’s rapid-paced, rapid, prevent-and-go. And I just transpired to, when I subbed in, felt something.

“Didn’t know what it was, but I was not heading to risk it in a preseason match. But absolutely wasn’t something I was made use of to. Wasn’t warm enough.”

The reviews solid doubt on the viability of bringing Westbrook off the bench to run the team’s 2nd device, an option that Ham and Westbrook reviewed throughout the summer.

“I believed he was strong,” Ham explained of Westbrook’s engage in versus Golden Condition. “A few of belongings I want we could get back again. But overall I assumed he was strong.”

He scored 19 details to go with 11 rebounds, a few helps and four turnovers in just significantly less than 31 minutes.

“You want to get started the recreation off the appropriate way in terms of your strength and remaining in attack manner,” Ham claimed. “And no a single improved than him.”

With the media place however buzzing pursuing Westbrook’s postgame job interview, James made it obvious he was not fascinated in sugarcoating truths about the Lakers’ shortcomings.

Like they did in 5 of their 6 preseason games, the group struggled badly from 3-issue range, lacking a blend of contested and vast-open up a few-level photographs.

“I think we’re receiving fantastic looks and I feel there also could be groups giving us terrific looks. I mean, to be totally trustworthy, we’re not a team that’s manufactured of terrific shooting,” James stated. “And that’s just what the fact of the make any difference is. It is not like we’re sitting here with a whole lot of lasers on our team.

“That does not discourage us from still seeking to get terrific shots. When you get those opportunities, you acquire them. But we’re not sitting down below with a bunch of 40-furthermore [percent] vocation a few-point taking pictures guys.”

James strike a few-of-10, the Lakers rallying (really) to end 10 of 40 from 3.

“They are all open appears to be like developed inside of the technique,” Ham stated. “Guys just got to action up and knock down the pictures. That’s very little to be spelled out in that regard.”

Requested if it is achievable for a workforce to get when the a few-place shot is such a significant element of fashionable basketball, James mentioned the Lakers want to locate a way.

“You continue on to protect. You go on to rely on the shot. You set in the operate. And if you set the work out on the floor when the cameras are not observing, then you trust it,” he claimed. “You believe in it. And I really don't see myself missing the open up appears to be like that I experienced tonight,” James claimed. “And if all people is placing the work in, you reside with individuals success. Which is all you can do. You continue on to protect, you go on to force the ball, you continue to share the ball, you keep on to play for a single yet another.

”... If you experienced a football analogy, and you had a bunch of guys that ended up underneath route runners and pondering why the quarterback is not throwing 20-furthermore [yard] passes down the field. That’s how the crew is created. That really don't signify you cannot gain. Brady did it.”

The postgame chatter arrived after the Lakers did not glimpse in the same course as the defending champs despite strong offensive video games from Anthony Davis, James and Westbrook. The recreation received absent from the Lakers in the 3rd quarter.

“We received to stay on our toes, be ready to go onto the next participate in. Possessing a following-enjoy mentality is large, and staying aggressive. And, once again, it only has to consider a person guy or two fellas,” Ham claimed. “And they truly care, so that’s [why] they have the disappointment in the initial place. But no 1 is likely to come to feel sorry for you, primarily the defending champs.

“Like, you obtained to have a brief memory. Whether you make a shot, or you pass up a shot, you transform the ball more than, or whatsoever, you bought to have a quick memory and get on to the next enjoy immediately. That has to be a thing that’s in our fabric and not just towards Golden Condition, but against the whole league.’

The next tough take a look at is the Clippers. And really, for the initially 10 games of the Lakers’ season, matters will mainly remain that way.