Despite early struggles, Los Angeles Lakers have reasons to feel optimistic

Their record may suggest otherwise, but the Los Angeles Lakers and their fans shouldn’t be panicking, despite what others may recommend.

The 2018-19 NBA season is barely a week old, and yet the sky already appears to be falling in southern California following the 0-3 start the Los Angeles Lakers have gotten off to.

Nobody on the roster has looked particularly impressive, including LeBron James, who, despite his stat-sheet stuffing abilities, has shot the ball terribly so far this season. The entire roster has shot just 28.7 percent from distance while ranking dead last in points allowed at 131.7 per game.

Everyone will already be quick to judge LeBron’s decision to join the Lakers, citing the difference in competitiveness between the two conferences as well as the makeup of the roster, which doesn’t appear to click in any sense of the word.

All things considered, though, while the organization shouldn’t tolerate losing, things may not be as bad as they seem.

For starters, as many have pointed out, LeBron has never got off to a scorching start with a new team. The Miami Heat infamously began the 2010-11 season 9-8, prompting some to suggest a deal had to be done to fix the roster. The 2014-15 Cleveland Cavaliers started off their run at 5-7, and they turned out pretty fine.

James may be the best player in the world, but he’s also been proven tough to coexist with on the court. This isn’t to suggest harmony can’t be found among him and his teammates, but to assume this team will play at its best after just a few weeks together is ridiculous. It will take time for everyone to develop chemistry and learn tendencies. That’s just how it works in sports and in life.

Let’s also not forget that L.A.’s three losses didn’t come against scrubs. The Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs all qualified for the playoffs last season, and the Lakers lost to them by an average of 6.3 points, coming within striking distance in each of the final frames.

Had they gotten blown out, there’d be cause for concern, but given the proximity of the score in all three games, it’s possible that only some minor tweaks and adjustments need to be made in order to turn those close losses in their favor.

This article isn’t to suggest L.A. doesn’t have flaws. The front office needs to find shooters, the young guys need to play better and the team as a whole needs to defend more, but the Lakers’ record makes it seem as though this project is finished before it even started.

Even with everything that’s gone wrong, there are still some bright spots for the Lakers. They’ve been playing unselfishly, ranking second in assists per game en-route to 125.3 points a night, which ranks third in the NBA. The normally baffling JaVale McGee has been a surprise so far, averaging 15.0 points and 3.0 blocks per game.

The Lakers have played three games, not 30. There will come a time where it becomes appropriate to evaluate them, but right after a trio of tightly contested games against playoff teams isn’t it.

The future may not seem so bright in Los Angeles right now, but if history has shown us anything, it’s that time heals plenty on LeBron-led teams, and the same is likely to be the case this time around as well.