LeBron James gives harsh criticism of his own Lakers
'We're not a team that's constructed of great shooting'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Los Angeles Lakers opened up the 2022-23 NBA season with a 123-109 loss to the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.
The Lakers shot just 43% from the floor (40-for-93), but went a putrid 10-for-40 from 3-point land in the loss.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball during the game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, on Tuesday. (Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
That type of shooting against the Warriors will never fly, but LeBron James thinks those numbers may be replicated more often than not in Southern California.
"To be completely honest, we’re not a team that's constructed of great shooting," James said after the loss. "That's just the truth of the matter. It’s not like we’re sitting here with a lot of lasers on our team."
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers attempts a 3-pointer during the season opener against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, on Tuesday. (Jed Jacobsohn/NBAE via Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}James added that if his teammates have a good look, they should take the shot, but "we're not sitting here with a bunch of 40-plus (percent) career shooting guys."
Last year, the Lakers ranked eighth in the NBA with a 46.9% team field goal percentage, but their 34.7% from beyond the arc was the eighth-worst. They missed the playoffs a year removed from the play-in tournament — the year prior, they won the NBA Championship in the Florida bubble.
James went 3-for-10 from behind the arc, while Kendrick Nunn went 3-for-6 off the bench. The rest of the team combined to make just three of the remaining 24 3-pointers.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Newcomers Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV combined for just eight points. James scored 31, while Anthony Davis dropped in 27. Russell Westbrook added 19.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers high-fives Russell Westbrook during the first half of their game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, on Tuesday. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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The Lakers will face their in-arena rival Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night.