You ever wonder why the Lakers don’t have a shootaround on gamedays? Unlike every other team in the league, the Lakers seem to be against practicing and shooting around on game days.
Apparently, it has something to do with their two main stars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
(via Joe Vardon of The Athletic)
The Lakers, though, are averse to not only practicing, but shooting around on game days. They do have players who go to the gym to get up shots, but it’s voluntary and LeBron often isn’t there. I’ve gone so far as to say this whole situation, them having players gather in the mornings, but not call it a “shootaround,” is done to skirt rules about media access. The Lakers do not agree.
“LeBron James doesn’t want to do it (shootaround), Anthony Davis doesn’t want to do it. They kick ass when we don’t do it, so that’s it,” said someone who would know.
For whatever reason, Bron and AD don’t feel like they need any type of shootaround during game days. And, considering their current position at the top of the West, it’s hard to argue otherwise.
For LeBron James specifically, lightening up on practice time may be in his best interest at 35-years-old — the same can be said for AD regarding his extensive injury history.
All-in-all, the Lakers are able to dominate with little-to-no pre-game prep and nobody in the Lakers organization is really going to try to change their mind because, whatever their strategy, it’s working wonders so far. Both James and Davis are looking fresh, combining for over 51 points per game this season.
For their sake, they better hope that’s enough through the postseason.
