The Lakers ‘Big Three’ of LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis have had substandard starts to the league. While Westbrook has started thriving in his new role, coming off the bench, Davis and James have had a challenging time finding their feet.
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And while an argument can be made for the fact, it’s merely just been nine games since their campaign has begun, there have been worrying signs. These indicate that the current setup surrounding the roster, will not find the success that the front office was hoping for.
No doubt, it’s a slow process, however, using the sample size provided of nine games, the team cannot seem to find their rhythm and fluidity once the second half of games commences.
This evaluation is seconded by former Laker sharpshooter himself, Kentavious Caldwell Pope!
Caldwell-Pope provides a brutal, yet precise assessment of James and the Lakers!
Caldwell-Pope teamed up with LeBron James for a period of three years ranging from 2018-2021. The former teammates found quite a lot of success during their time in LA, winning the distinguished NBA ‘Bubble’ championship in 2020.
‘KCP’ is currently the starting ‘Shooting guard’ for the Denver Nuggets. The NBA champion provided a genuine analysis of the ‘King’ and the mayhem in LA.
FG% on jump shots this season:
Russell Westbrook – 33.3%
Anthony Davis – 26%
LeBron James – 25.9% pic.twitter.com/HT72HBk8y5— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) November 6, 2022
With James’ current subpar start to the 2022/2023 NBA season, his former teammate has claimed that James needs to rally his compatriots in order to find their winning ways again.
Caldwell-Pope stated-
“Just watching the games, it just looks like there’s no basketball over there,” Caldwell-Pope said. “It’s just playing pickup. It’s hard to watch sometimes. So from me to him, just get the team together, and I just want to see that spark in him again. I don’t think I see that spark in Bron. So, hopefully, he can get it back.”
‘KCP’ was shipped to Washington, along with Kyle Kuzma and Montrez Harrell in 2021 in a blockbuster trade for former NBA ‘MVP’ Russell Westbrook. Suffice it to say, the trade backfired for the ‘Purple and Gold’.
LeBron James and the Lakers dilemma!
Los Angeles has amassed a staggering seven losses out of nine possible games, to kickstart their season. With just two victories to their name, questions will soon be raised, provided the situation doesn’t change for the better.
The Lakers’ loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night highlighted a recurring issue that has been persistent for the past year. Anthony Davis scored just two points in the second half of the game.
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LeBron James is currently averaging just 24.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 7.1 assists in nine games. As impressive as this might seem on paper, the matches indicate that the ‘King’ might need to rejuvenate himself.
Anthony Davis will need to step up his game as well if the Lakers wish to compete for an NBA championship this year.
