LeBron James’ preseason debut for the Los Angeles Lakers felt different, not only because of the uniform he was in, but because of the players around him and his team’s playing style.
Los Angeles fell to the Denver Nuggets 124-107 on Sunday, but the new-look Lakers showed flashes of what they can be this season and how they can compliment the best player in the world.
James was on the floor for just 15 minutes, finishing with 9 points on 2-of-6 shooting, to go with three rebounds and three assists.
He didn’t have the ball in his hands as much as he did during his time in Cleveland, with Rajon Rondo and even Brandon Ingram often initiating the offence.
The Lakers want to ease the load on James’ shoulders by surrounding him with playmakers rather than just shooters, and Rondo, who had 11 assists in 23 minutes on Sunday, clearly has the chops to take over the reins at times.
Ingram, meanwhile, looked like a primary scorer as he dropped 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting, while showing promising chemistry with James, who looked to get the third-year forward involved by finding him on cuts.
The offence in general looked to go up-tempo as much as possible by pushing the pace off rebounds and made baskets.
Between James, Rondo, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart and Lonzo Ball – who missed Sunday’s game as he continues to recover from surgery for a torn left meniscus – the Lakers have plenty of high IQ players, versatile players.
On his part, James acknowledged he’s on a new chapter in his career and in a situation that feels foreign to him right now.
“It always feels different for me anytime you change uniforms,” he said. “It felt different when I changed from a St. Vincent-St. Mary jersey to a Cavs jersey, from a Cavs jersey to a Heat jersey, back to a Cavs jersey and now being a Laker.
“So, it definitely feels different, and it’ll take a little bit of time getting used to.”
