If the decision to start Russell Westbrook was Darvin Ham’s first big test as Lakers head coach, it is certainly the second to pick up the pieces following wild comments after the game.
With the Clippers next in a 10-game gauntlet to start the season, Westbrook and LeBron James are spotlighting some of the Lakers’ inconvenient truths.
First, after the team lost 123-109 to the Warriors in the opener, Westbrook said his hamstring injury was “definitely” related to getting off the bench in the team’s preseason finals.
“I’ve been doing the same thing for 14 years. To be honest, I didn’t even know what to do before the game,” Westbrook said. “To be honest, I was trying to figure out how to stay warm and loose. For me, it’s clearly the way I play the game, fast, fast, stop-and-go. And coincidentally, I felt something as I closed in.
“I didn’t know what it was, but I wouldn’t risk it in a preseason game. But it certainly wasn’t something I was used to. It wasn’t warm enough.”
The comments cast doubt on the feasibility of taking Westbrook off the bench to lead the team’s second unit, an option Ham and Westbrook discussed over the summer.
“I thought he was solid,” Ham said of Westbrook’s game against Golden State. “A few belongings that I wish we could get back. But overall I thought it was solid.”
He scored 19 points left with 11 rebounds, three assists and four turnovers in just under 31 minutes.
“You want to start the game the right way in terms of your energy and attack mode,” said Ham. “And no one better than him.”
While the media room was still buzzing after Westbrook’s post-game interview, James made it clear that he wasn’t interested in covering up any truths about the Lakers’ shortcomings.
As they did in five of their six preseason games, the team struggled poorly from the three-point range, missing a combination of contested and wide-open three-point shots.
“I think we’re going to get great looks and I think there could also be teams that give us a great look. I mean, to be completely honest, we’re not a team made up of great shots,” James said. “And that’s exactly what the truth is. It’s not like we’re sitting here with a lot of lasers on our team.
“That doesn’t stop us from still taking great photos. When you get those opportunities, you grab them. But we’re not sitting here with a bunch of over 40s [percent] career three point shooting boys.”
James was three-of-10, the Lakers rallied (really) to finish 10 of 40 out of three.
“It’s all open looks designed within the system,” Ham said. “Guys just have to get up and get the shots down. That’s inexplicable in that regard.”
When asked if it’s possible for a team to win when the three-point shot is such a big part of modern basketball, James said the Lakers had to find a way.
“You keep defending. You keep trusting the shot. You start the work. And if you put the work on the ground while the cameras are not watching, you trust it,” he said. “You trust it. And I don’t see myself missing the open looks I had tonight,” James said. “And if everyone does their best, you live with those results. That’s all you can do. You keep defending, you keep pushing the ball, you keep sharing the ball, you keep playing for each other.”
“…If you had a football analogy, and you had a bunch of guys sitting under route runners wondering why the quarterback doesn’t throw 20-plus [yard] passes the field. That’s how the team is put together. That doesn’t mean you can’t win. Brady did it.”
The post-game chatter came after the Lakers didn’t look in the same league as the defending champions, despite strong attacking games from Anthony Davis, James and Westbrook. The game came away from the Lakers in the third quarter.
“We have to stay sharp and get to the next game. Having a next play mentality is huge, and staying competitive. And again, it only takes one or two guys to do it,” Ham said. “And they give really care, so that’s [why] they have the disappointment in the first place. But no one will feel sorry for you, especially the defending champion.
“Like, you have to have a short memory. Whether you take a shot, or you miss a shot, you flip the ball, or whatever, you have to have a short memory and go straight to the next game. That has to be something that’s in our fabric and not just against Golden State, but against the entire league.”
The next tough test is the Clippers. And really, for the first 10 games of the Lakers season, things will usually stay that way.
This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
