The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Golden State Warriors 121-114 in their regular season debut on Tuesday night. Two of the team’s Big Three played extremely well. LeBron James put up 34 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Anthony Davis added 33 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Russell Westbrook? Eight points on 4-for-13 shooting and 4 turnovers. Moreover, his plus/minus of minus-23 in 35 minutes was the worst on the team.
One person who was happy to see L.A. fall? Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce.
Pierce has never been shy about bashing the Lakers or LeBron James. He did it while at ESPN. This week, Pierce was up to his old tricks. In a session with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, he mocked the Lakers’ championship aspirations this year.
“This team is really giving me that Karl Malone, Gary Payton when they were with Kobe [Bryant], that kind of feel,” Pierce said.
While this form of slandering this year’s Lakers isn’t new, it is a bit odd. The team that folks reference when they say this, the ’04 squad, made it to an NBA Finals. It’s really not the insult many seem to think it is.
All that being said, clearly the Lakers need to get it together. There’s a reason why rivals like Pierce and ex-players like Kyle Kuzma feel so comfortable taking shots at the team right now. They’re not playing well.
Given how young the season is, though – there’s plenty of time to change course.
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