The Los Angeles Lakers wound up going winless in the preseason, losing 116-112 to the Sacramento Kings in an entertaining affair.
Going 0-6 is never preferable, but the Lakers know that it was more important to get a feel for each other on the court and allow head coach Frank Vogel to figure out how his rotation should shakeup. The Big 3 of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook appeared in the final two games and though the fit looked clunky at times, there were certainly several moments where they flashed how things could work.
As the newcomer, Westbrook will have eyes on him as he tries to integrate himself with James and Davis and despite the poor preseason showing, he is still encouraged by how much the team was able to gel together.
“Just that we got better each game,” Westbrook said. “I feel like we’ve gotten better each preseason on, obviously getting all guys health is most important, keeping us helping throughout the year, but just encouraged about how each game we’ve gotten a little better.
Lakers fans have been feeling antsy about the team because of the preseason stumbles, but Westbrook emphasized that the games ultimately do not matter from a record standpoint.
“Honestly, I can’t tell you, I’ve been in the league 13 years, I don’t know my preseason record for any of those years. So that should answer your question. I don’t know anything about preseason [laughs], so no, it doesn’t matter.”
All the players so far have preached that it is going to take some time for the Lakers to really come together and play to their potential, which means the team could conceivably struggle out the gates for the 2021-22 season. Westbrook himself did not have a great couple of games as he struggled with turnovers and looked off shooting from outside, though he looked better in the loss against the Kings.
Vogel is going to have his work cut out for him trying to get the roster organized and playing good basketball, especially considering all the injuries they are already facing. Fortunately, Westbrook and the other veterans understand the process and there is too much collective basketball IQ and talent for them to not figure things out sooner rather than later.
Anthony Davis says Lakers can not rush process
As a member of the 2020 championship squad, Davis knows what a title team looks like and the process it takes to get to that level. Even though it might be frustrating at first, Davis believes the Lakers can not rush the process and allow themselves to struggle before they resemble their ceiling.
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