The Los Angeles Lakers have lost their first three preseason games. Between that and Russell Westbrook’s rough debut with the team, it might seem like there is not a ton to be optimistic about at the moment if you’re a fan of the Purple and Gold.
Not so.
This week, Lakers star LeBron James couldn’t help but gush over one of his squad’s newest additions. It isn’t their most high-profile offseason acquisition, Westbrook.
Rather, it’s former Miami Heat stud Kendrick Nunn.
“Well, he comes from a defensive-minded franchise, and that’s Miami. You have to show up and play defense in order to be on the floor in Miami,” James said. “So I just love his competitive nature and the fact that he’s from Chicago, those guys just have another level of pride when it comes to basketball, both sides of the floor. So I love what he brings to our ball club and looking forward to him having a great year.”
Nunn finished Friday night’s loss to the Golden State Warriors with 13 points, four rebounds and an assist in 27 minutes off the bench. Those figures serve as quite the stark contrast to Westbrook’s totals for the day — two points, seven rebounds, four assists and six turnovers on 1-of-7 shooting in 17 minutes of action.
Beyond his praise for Nunn, James also got brutally honest about the adjustment the Lakers must make ASAP this season.
It’s still early days, and there’s plenty of time for the Lakers to turn into the team many expected them to be this year. So far, though, they aren’t looking particularly formidable.
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