Affirmative Talk

  LeBron James wasted no time in making an implied criticism of the Los Angeles Lakers' management. LeBron, who effortlessly dropped 31 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists on 12-of-25 shooting (3-of-10 from three), used his postgame podium to lament the lack of three-point shooters on his team's roster minutes after the Lakers shot 10-of-4o from three-point range in an ultimately uncompetitive 123-109 season-opening loss to the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center. Listen to the Game of Life Basketball Podcast When questioned about the Lakers' difficulties from downtown on Tuesday, following a 30 percent shooting performance in their 1-5 preseason, by Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, he responded as follows: “I mean, I don’t know. I think we’re getting great looks and I think there could also be teams giving us great looks. I mean, to be completely honest, we’re not a team that’s constructed of great shooting. And that’s just what the truth of the matter is. It’s...

  According to the Los Angeles Lakers, Russell Westbrook will be classified as "day-to-day" due to tightness in his left hamstring. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo, Westbrook's hamstring has no structural damage, but it's unclear if he'll be able to play against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. After just five minutes of play on Friday against the Sacramento Kings in the Lakers' last preseason game, Westbrook left the game. He entered the locker room with a minor limp, and he was quickly declared ineligible for the remainder of the evening. The actual moment Russ was hurt is unknown. Russ' hamstring injury may recur, so the Lakers will need to take extra precautions. With 78 games played in 2021–2022, Westbrook was the team's most dependable player in terms of availability. What Westbrook's job will be for the Lakers when he is ready to score is the greater concern he must address. In Sacramento, Darvin Ham eventually made the decision to r...