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LOS ANGELES — Anthony Davis knows that feeling: decision earlier the travel has adjacent begun.
Two years ago, a 10-point nonaccomplishment to the Clippers spoiled his Lakers debut. All summer, critics had questioned if a hoops adolescence tucked distant successful the quaint New Orleans marketplace had prepared him for the bright, burning lights of L.A. After conscionable 1 night, Davis was wondering if they had correctly assessed him.
A fewer feet distant from him sat LeBron James, who carried nary of the aforesaid weight.
“He looked astatine me, and helium said, ‘You’re fine, this is Game 1,’” Davis recalled. “He’s laughing. He’s joking connected the phone. And I’m like, ‘Why americium I upset, then?’ And I benignant of conscionable went with the flow.”
Davis recovered himself connected the different broadside of that dynamic connected Tuesday night. Russell Westbrook didn’t lone endure his archetypal nonaccomplishment arsenic a Laker, but helium struggled mightily connected an idiosyncratic level. The erstwhile league MVP was good retired of his constituent successful the 121-114 nonaccomplishment to the Golden State Warriors, tallying 8 points, 4 assists and 4 turnovers – portion blowing layups, missing antiaircraft assignments and struggling to find his shooting interaction (4 for 13).
No 1 seemed to consciousness that disappointment much keenly than Westbrook. In his postgame media session, helium reverted to terse answers, utilizing less than 70 words to respond to 5 questions from reporters.
Did James and Davis reassure him afterward? “We talked.”
Westbrook’s gloom spoke the volumes that his words did not. James and Davis confirmed that helium was self-critical, fixating connected his mistakes aft the game. James’ proposal was for Westbrook to springiness himself a break.
“I told Russ to spell location and ticker a comedy,” James said. “Do thing that tin enactment a grin connected his face. He’s truthful hard connected himself. I told him, ‘Don’t beryllium truthful hard connected yourself. It’s 1 game.’”
The dependable patience of his superstar teammates lone underscores that the Lakers, present officially 0-1 aft failing to triumph immoderate of their six preseason games, are successful for a agelong haul. Westbrook is the Tasmanian Devil of the NBA, a premix of unit and chaos that sometimes does much harm than good. His superb passing and lightning-quick drives to the rim animate fearfulness from opponents; his spotty shooting and occasionally careless turnovers support his ain fans connected edge.
But wrong the Laker locker room, Westbrook is fortified by teammates who judge successful his game. No 1 preaches content much than James and Davis, who foresee a juggernaut that volition support defenses connected their heels erstwhile they scope the close operational strength. Coach Frank Vogel said helium believes Westbrook should beryllium judged with a qualifier: He’s the newcomer who has to set his crippled the astir from a benignant successful which helium has ever been the ascendant player.
There are adjustments that are necessary: less shots, less possessions bringing the shot up the floor, caller weapons to enactment with. But his teammates stay resolute that this is not a reinvention of Westbrook – simply a caller context. Davis has seen possessions wherever Westbrook tin spot wide driving lanes to the hoop, but helium opts to walk alternatively of people successful an effort to get teammates involved.
“We privation him to beryllium himself, beryllium aggressive, beryllium Russell Westbrook,” Davis said. “Be the crushed wherefore we traded for you.”
While Westbrook is often described arsenic a likable teammate, helium has had analyzable friction with his high-profile partners. His pairing with Kevin Durant was fruitful but grew weary implicit time, ending with Durant’s leaving for Golden State to Westbrook’s chagrin. A reunion with James Harden successful Houston dissolved aft a year, wedged by their differing approaches to the game. He and Bradley Beal had moments unneurotic successful Washington past season, including an inspiring precocious propulsion to the postseason, but yet Beal doesn’t look to person been breached up by Westbrook’s commercialized request to L.A.
Could his concern connected the Lakers beryllium different? James and Davis person already gone done the enactment of learning however they enactment unneurotic – a duo that was fearsome connected Tuesday nighttime with 67 combined points. And portion galore person referred to the 2017 MVP arsenic idiosyncratic little than a superstar who tin win, James and Davis steadfastly judge successful his potential. Davis said helium believes Westbrook mostly needs repetitions, getting much pick-and-rolls, oregon getting post-ups against smaller opponents helium tin bully from the elbow.
After predicting his archetypal crippled arsenic a Laker would beryllium an acquisition Westbrook could not wholly hole for, James said his teammate simply had archetypal crippled “jitters,” betwixt his L.A. homecoming and being swept up by relatives and friends successful the stands.
“Those things, those demands and those asks and those things volition quiescent down arsenic the play goes connected and on,” James said. “So, I’m not disquieted astir Russ astatine all. He conscionable needs to beryllium himself and not interest astir the outcome.”
There is simply a honeyed facet to that optimism: The questions that person followed Westbrook done his vocation travel him still. But if there’s 1 metallic lining for Westbrook, it’s that helium has teammates who person achieved astatine a precocious level already, and they’re consenting to spot things retired until helium finds the equilibrium the Lakers need.
“We’re with him,” Davis said. “It’s his occupation to proceed to beryllium himself, and we’re gonna assistance him done each the small avenues and these challenges on the way, and we expect the aforesaid from him. So we’ll beryllium fine.”
"It's 1 game. We privation to larn from it and get better." @KingJames connected the #Lakers loss, Russell Westbrook's show and more. pic.twitter.com/AJZZ8GnEYi
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 20, 2021
.@russwest44 (8 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 4-13 FG) connected uncovering his footing and his Opening Night experience. pic.twitter.com/nxSzbufQg4
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 20, 2021
'We volition beryllium fine… We've conscionable got to proceed to push, proceed to get better." @AntDavis23 (33 PTS, 11 REB) connected the #Lakers antiaircraft miscues contiguous against the Warriors. pic.twitter.com/0brCBOPz8Z
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) October 20, 2021
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