DENVER, COLORADO – OCTOBER 24: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers after losing to the Denver Nuggets during an NBA opening night game at Ball Arena on October 24, 2023 in Denver, Colorado Leave the field. Notice to User: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that by downloading and/or using this photo, User agrees to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/Getty Images)
Suns vs Suns Lakers NBA Expert Predictions Odds, Key Players for October 26th (Betting on Los Angeles)
The Los Angeles Lakers lost their first game of the 2023-24 season to the Denver Nuggets in a game that looked very similar to their sweep of the Western Conference Finals five months ago. This was a competitive game for the most part, but the Nuggets were able to execute at a more efficient pace in key moments.
There are still 81 games to play, so Lakers fans shouldn’t panic, but there are some clear takeaways from this game. Davon Ham’s controversial decision not to play Max Christie ruffled many fans’ feathers, while his decision to limit LeBron James’ minutes seemed to go against his star’s wishes.
LeBron doesn’t want to just play more games, and he’s already questioning how the coaching staff will use him in this new rotation. Opening night microphone audio has trickled out, and it includes a somewhat concerning clip where LeBron had to remind his coaching staff that he could also play point guard.
LeBron James clearly seems fed up with Lakers coaching staff
We’re only one game into the season, so the Lakers have plenty of time to adjust what they’re doing, but it’s never a good sign when a star player has to go to the coaching staff and beg to run the offense more.
It’s even worse when that player is LeBron James, who has a higher basketball IQ than anyone in the building, including the coaching staff and Nikola Jokic (although he’s a close second).
LeBron didn’t initiate much offense in the season opener against the Nuggets and was used more as an off-ball threat. As LeBron himself said, he was often “floating” on the court, which is not how LeBron should be used.
The Lakers coaching staff is clearly trying to protect LeBron and treat him with caution, which is absolutely understandable and reasonable considering he has played 21 seasons in the league. While this is the best thing for the team in the long run, there must be a better connection between the coaching staff and LeBron regarding his playing time and role. There shouldn’t be this kind of disconnect after just one game in an 82-game season.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out and how Ham handles LeBron the rest of the season. Additionally, it’s even more striking to see how this affects D’Angelo Russell, who shouldered the bulk of the point guard duties on Tuesday but didn’t play a team-leading 36 minutes. It will definitely be an exciting game.