[ad_1]
LOS ANGELES – There are foreign roads to navigate, traffic to curse and time to bless. The change can be a mixed bag, even for LeBron James, and we have not yet mentioned his other new and complex environment, namely his teammates to break through.
There is also a third layer of this unknown skin, which could be the most uncomfortable of all. Yes, if LeBron and the Lakers want to provide insomniacs around the world with a must-have television, they need to find ways to be flexible at the Western Conference. As LeBron has already discovered, he is no longer in Kansas. In fact, do that Orlando, Charlotte, Brooklyn, etc., etc., etc.
For a superstar who does not take his nights, well, he can not afford to do it anyway in the West, where there is apparently another potential winner of the 50 games to watch from the other bench.
It's most of the day on Thursday: sowing worry in the heads of the elite teams of the West and make them aware of what is happening in Los Angeles. The Nuggets entered the Staples Center without any defeat and left some clues as to what LeBron and the Lakers might be in the near future after managing the initial process of creating links.
"Growth continues to occur," said Lakers coach Luke Walton.
LeBron made his first triple-double as a Laker and, given the circumstances – no Rajon Rondo nor Brandon Ingram, both suspended for a second consecutive game – they delivered their most impressive 48 minutes of the season with a 121-114 victory.
"The first two games we fell behind, we stayed behind," said LeBron, noting that the Lakers had regained control of the Nuggets late. "The best teacher in life is the experience."
This is the kind of games he will see more often than he did with Cavaliers and Heat. For someone who has spent his entire career in the East, the competitive upgrade will force LeBron and the Lakers to sharpen their learning curve. Already, the West shows little sign of falling from last year, while 10 teams finished with record wins; because only the top eight make the playoffs, the other two had to go home, wishing to be in the East.
It's a small sample size so far, but again, it's the same for the best conference:
The Warriors remain the class of the conference and the league, with all the usual suspects who have delivered three leagues in four years. OK, of course, Klay Thompson might have to send his trusty dog Rocco in search of his missing rider. But: did you see Steph Curry drop 51 on the Wizards the other night? Well.
What's interesting and scariest about the Warriors is that they still have a few months left before they get to work with DeMarcus Cousins, who has moved on to a lighter job and dropped the sweat during of exercises without contact.
The Rockets, last season's Western finalists, clearly lack the perimeter defense and shots of Trevor Ariza, who signed with the modest Suns (a real money deal for him). Meanwhile, Carmelo Anthony draws 26% of the depth and tension while trying to prevent it from becoming an extension of his stop in Oklahoma City. Also: James Harden is dealing with a hamstring and Chris Paul, recently out of Rajon Rondo's DNA, purge a suspension.
Still, it will not last long. Rockets' chief executive, Daryl Morey, is already up for grabs, trying to swap a Texas breast plate against the Timberwolves against Jimmy Butler. If Morey succeeds, the Rockets will have three stars in their first five games, just behind the Warriors.
LeBron must be wary of Rondo's former squad, who plays as if she's not missing as much as some have suggested. The New Orleans Pelicans are flourishing with a light style that remains of their surprising second round in the playoffs of last spring. Niko Mirotic scored almost as many points as Anthony Davis and former Laker Julius Randle lined up on AD.
Speaking of the unexpected, the Spurs with DeMar DeRozan make a good start and could play 22 consecutive playoff games after all the changes and injuries. And Pat Beverley said the Clippers are the best team in LA; Take it for what it's worth, but it shows that no one is laying out the red carpet for the Lakers just because they added LeBron.
The Nuggets missed the playoffs on the final day of the regular season and may be more savvy. Nikola Jokic ranks in the top three of business and Denver's defense ranks first in terms of efficiency.
What they saw on Thursday was a controlled and effective LeBron match (28 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists); Lonzo Ball strips Jamal Murray on the first floor for one of his five interceptions; JaVale McGee, a former Warrior player, had 16 shots and did something with 21 points; and the very entertaining energy of Lance Stephenson.
Nuggets coach Mike Malone was an assistant from 2005 to 2010 in Cleveland and has witnessed the LeBron effect in those formative years.
"Of course, the West is harder," said Malone, "but it's also his first time playing with all these guys. As he said, it will take time. It's not happening overnight, just like it was not the case last year in Oklahoma City when they brought in Paul George and Carmelo Anthony and everyone thought they would be great right away . Playing with LeBron is not easy. It's easy, but it's not easy. When we traded against guys like Wally Szczerbiak, he comes in and says, "I've never been so open in my life." He struggled to throw because he was so open.
"LeBron brings confidence to all these guys. Josh Hart, Kyle Kuzma, they will be better for that. He is an excellent player and the team will slowly return to form. My definition of greatness is, what can you do for everyone around you? Can you take them to new heights? And he has done so many times throughout his career. He's doing the same thing now in Los Angeles. "
A week after the end of the season, the Lakers told us this: they played four of their five games against the playoffs, won only one, but the other three entered the fourth quarter . These are two missed free throws by LeBron of a winning record. LeBron is like an MVP and sturdy as always, and the other pieces are slowly falling into place.
It will take months before there is enough weight to advance a difficult conference. Yes, the West is better. But it's also because the Lakers, powered by LeBron, are no longer the post-Kobe twists, are also better.
* * *
Shaun Powell, a former NBA writer, has worked for newspapers and other publications for more than 25 years. You can send him an email here, find his archives here and follow him on Twitter.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.
[ad_2]
Source link
