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EL SEGUNDO — Confronted by 1 of his biggest blunders of the play opener, the champion Carmelo Anthony could bash was laughter along.
On a free-throw effort successful the 3rd 4th of Tuesday night’s crippled against Golden State, the seasoned guardant accidentally bumped the shot against his forehead. It created a hitch successful his shot, and helium knew if the shot near his hands, it wouldn’t interaction the rim. So helium did what helium thought would prevention face: held onto the ball, appearing to pump-fake connected his ain foul shot.
“That was comic arsenic hell,” Anthony said. “I’m like, ‘I’m not taking an airball. Take the violation. I’d alternatively instrumentality a usurpation than an airball.’ So it’s the small things radical don’t spot wrong the game. That was 1 of them.”
There was, of course, a batch much for the Lakers to benignant done successful Thursday’s signifier from their 121-114 season-opening nonaccomplishment to Golden State, and astir of them weren’t feel-good gaffes. While Anthony was capable to formed disconnected the archetypal crippled comparatively quickly, the Lakers were besides waiting to spot however Russell Westbrook (4-for-13 shooting, 8 points, 4 turnovers) would respond aft looking plentifulness frustrated connected Tuesday night.
All-Star large antheral Anthony Davis saw Westbrook successful his constituent successful practice: scoring connected post-ups, scoring connected dribble-pull-ups disconnected the glass, talking smack to teammates. If there’s lingering angst implicit however his L.A. tenure started, it seems down him – astatine slightest successful the gym.
“He was his mean aforesaid and it’s bully to spot that,” Davis said. “He had a time disconnected to reflect, get implicit it, flush it. And past travel backmost to signifier and get backmost to being himself. And hopefully, it carries implicit to time wherever helium tin beryllium Russell Westbrook.”
The Lakers suggested Thursday that the load of integrating Westbrook doesn’t autumn connected him alone. Davis said helium and LeBron James inactive are learning however to play with him. Coach Frank Vogel said: “We didn’t get him progressive enough, and that’s connected me.”
Westbrook struggled passim the preseason, but helium looked astir engaged successful the last tune-up against Sacramento erstwhile helium scored 15 points and attacked the paint. Both James and Davis person suggested that Westbrook volition summation assurance by scoring opportunities successful the spots connected the tribunal wherever helium feels comfortable.
After being Westbrook’s teammate for 1 play successful Oklahoma City, Anthony has a small familiarity with however helium works, and however it tin consciousness fitting into a superstar triumvirate.
“It’s conscionable a substance of wanting to fig it retired truthful badly, wanting to inactive beryllium who you are, wanting to inactive acceptable successful with everything else,” helium said. “So it’s a conflict with everything. Coming backmost home, dealing with that, I don’t privation to accidental ‘pressure’, but knowing the stakes, knowing the involvement of we privation to triumph a championship.
“But america trying to triumph a title is not going to beryllium established connected the archetypal night,” Anthony said, “especially with the radical of guys we have.”
NUNN OUT 2-3 WEEKS
The Lakers person much problems that can’t beryllium fixed earlier Friday night’s game against the reigning Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns: Vogel said Kendrick Nunn has developed a bony bruise successful his close genu that volition instrumentality astatine slightest 2 to 3 weeks to heal.
With Wayne Ellington (hamstring strain) inactive retired for Friday, and Talen Horton-Tucker and Trevor Ariza retired semipermanent pursuing surgeries, the Lakers are already down 4 guards and wings who were each expected to vie for rotation roles. Adding seasoned defender Avery Bradley to the roster helps the Lakers connected the perimeter, but lone a constricted amount.
Vogel sought retired the metallic lining of an wounded concern that has already heightened the challenges for the Lakers: In the preseason, helium faced a fig of pugnacious rotation decisions; present injuries person made his options much clear. While helium acknowledged that a deficiency of top-level perimeter defenders volition marque it volition harder for the Lakers to get stops, helium maintains religion successful his strategy – arsenic agelong arsenic the players get much acquainted with it.
“Our happening is we conscionable person to get our guys truly executing our strategy astatine a precocious level,” Vogel said. “If they execute our strategy and pursuit their perimeter guys into our bigs the close way, and past walk them disconnected the mode we privation to wrong our scheme, we’re assured that we should person an elite defence again.”
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