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Everyone wants to know what the new Lakers are going to do, well, it looks like on the court. When LeBron James decided to team up with a group of young stallions and the craziest concoction of veteran veterans ever assembled, there were two dominant schools of thought.
It might be crazy enough to work and raise beautiful basketball or the circus arrives at the Staples Center.
Well, Magic Johnson and some Lakers employees had the privilege of seeing the most intriguing team in the NBA enter the 2018-19 season long before the start of training camp on Tuesday. Not surprisingly, the Hall of Famer, who helped LeBron bring his talents to Los Angeles, liked what he saw. Especially from the veterinarians who dominated the action – and not necessarily by looking at their new teammates or shooting spotlights from the ground.
"Oh my God, it was something to watch," said Johnson, president of the Lakers basketball operations, last week at a press conference of the pre-training camp. "I've watched LeBron from afar, and of course at many games, but watching LeBron in the gym is different. How much does it make everyone better, but also how it improves everyone's level of play. "
On Monday, the Lakers held their annual media day in their El Segundo training center and welcomed more journalists than you see in most playoff games. Usually these things only concern local writers, journalists and TV stations, but the horde – which included international journalists and CNN – was on hand for LeBron's first official comments as a Laker. The cameras followed LeBron from his 10-minute session with the press at his photo shoots to his conversations with local television, radio, and the official Lakers podcast team. While LeBron had documented all his movements while he was browsing the Lakers' training facilities, the iPhones and the cameras capturing all this, the young core of the team – Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart have the opportunity to talk about the additions of James, Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee and Michael Beasley.
"The level of play, they were going hard. It was physical, it was difficult, there were discussions in the trash, it was very fun, but also a lot of teaching. "
As the Lakers did not have any official practice yet, the crowd was very curious about pick-up games. Johnson had warned the media with some details and stories about what he had seen. Almost no one outside the Lakers organization knows which basketball brand will be played with such a unique list. So newcomers and veterinarians were full of questions not only about what it would be like to play with LeBron and with each other, but especially about what was going on in those fights.
"The pickup matches were very intense," said Stephenson. "These meetings were really incredible, just to get to know everyone. Entering early and playing these pickup games have definitely created a link for all players. "
Although Ball could not participate in the games – he was not allowed to play 5-on-5 because of knee surgery out of season – he was present on the sidelines of the competition. According to Johnson, Rondo would frequently talk with Ball about what was going on in the games. The teaching moments gave rise to film sessions starring Rondo, Ball and Johnson – three generations of master balloons and ground generals that basketball fans would die to sit on. Rondo said Ball's willingness to break the film with him in the middle of summer was something he had never experienced before.
"I do not know with how many sophomores I've watched a movie and gets critical two months before the start of the season," Rondo said.
The Lakers should be in the playoffs this season. LeBron could basically make the Hawks dismal in the playoffs by himself, so the Lakers can reasonably expect to do some sort of race at the semifinals of the Western Conference. LeBron will not have to do so much this season with a team probably more talented than the one he left in Cleveland. But the mere fact of getting there will not necessarily be celebrated, even if the franchise has not participated in the playoffs for five years. There is an important job to do with so many new faces and styles that are trying to fit in before the opening match on October 18th in Portland. The positive, though? The intensity, tone, urgency of these games were different from those of Ball, Kuzma, Hart and Ingram before the start of a season. "Playing against one of the greatest players of all time will only make you better and make you learn and [up] the learning curve, "said Kuzma.
"The level of play, they were going hard. It was physical, it was hard, there was rubbish in the trash, it was very fun, but also a lot of teaching, "Johnson said. "LeBron teaches in pickup games. Rondo teaches in pick-up games. JaVale blocked Kuz's shot and told him the next time you'd better come and dunk him without letting me block him. There was a lot going on that did not happen before these kids learned champions. "
We're expecting great things from Kuzma in his second season, and to take the next step he's been working with Kobe Bryant this season. Ball is larger – "He built like a brick wall," Kuzma said – after hitting the weight room and the enigmatic leader expects to be a better shooter because of it. Hart has been named MVP of the summer league. Ingram is still only 21 years old and has a massive offensive potential. But what you can not teach, what you can not work on, is the competitor inside each player. Either you have it or you do not do it. And the brass Lakers saw him in their team.
"This group of guys is as competitive as you can imagine," said Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka. "Being a competitive individual is something that multiplies, almost like compound interest, when you have competitive guys at the gym."
Competitive guys do not usually let things down. So, if you believe Magic, Pelinka, Stephenson, Kuzma and Rondo, the new look of the Lakers will be fine. Yes, there will be growing pains – LeBron proved that his first season in Miami – but if you expect to see the circus, know that there was a goal in games of chance.
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