Generally, when players put up big numbers for their team, it means that they had a good game. Obviously, we have to apply context when evaluating those types of performances, but as a whole, that premise is true.
LeBron James recently put up 35 points and 14 rebounds for the Los Angeles Lakers in their loss to the Golden State Warriors. While there’s no doubt that those are elite numbers, LeBron James received a lot of criticism from fans, who thought that he was stat padding. However, there were some who appreciated the performance from the superstar.
LeBron James tonight:
31 Points
14 Rebounds
8 Assists pic.twitter.com/Ht3atHWBoB
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 19, 2022
There is no doubt that this wasn’t the best night for LeBron James, and he did get a lot of his points in the fourth quarter. However, what was being missed is that the Los Angeles Lakers did have a small chance of making a comeback in the fourth quarter, though obviously, they ended up falling short.
The Los Angeles Lakers Have A Lot To Work On To Become A Good Team
There is no doubt that this first game wasn’t great for the Los Angeles Lakers, and getting blown out at the start of the season can definitely lower morale. Hopefully, the Los Angeles Lakers will be able to bounce back.
Darvin Ham has previously preached the value of sacrificing for the betterment of the team. There were times when Lakers players made selfish plays against the Warriors, and this is clearly an area that they need to work on.
“We talk about sacrifice. The first thing people think about is sacrificing scoring output or shots. No, sacrifice is making selfless plays. If you don’t have the ball pushing on the break, are you willing to sprint to your spot and open up a lane for your teammate? Are you willing to sprint and open up a shot for your teammate? Are you willing to box out even though you’re not getting that damn rebound, but you putting a body on a body, so your man can come in and scoop it up and keep it going with our pace? That’s the thing I am thinking about.”
It is definitely important for players to focus on winning as a team, rather than getting individual stats and being selfish. Talent isn’t always going to win every game, and we saw this today.
Hopefully, we see the Los Angeles Lakers figure things out in the future. There’s obviously plenty of time left in the season, but the team’s early play is definitely discouraging.
