Takeaways for Lakers from season-opening loss to Nuggets

LeBron James still looked like one of the best players in the league, leading all Lakers in scoring with 21 points to go along with eight rebounds and five assists. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis started out hot with 17 points in the first half, though he was scoreless in the second half.

D'Angelo Russell had a tough night offensively with 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting but was still able to dish out seven assists and be the secondary playmaker this team desperately needs. His backcourt mate Austin Reaves played a well-rounded game with 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals, proving his 2022-23 breakout was no fluke.

Nikola Jokic picked up right where he left off last postseason, finishing with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for his 106th career triple-double in the regular season, and was one of three Nuggets players to score 20-plus points.

The standout performer in regard to L.A.'s newest signings was forward Taurean Prince, who started in place of the injured Jarred Vanderbilt and played a fantastic all-around game, scoring 18 points and shooting 4-of-6 from three. He showed no hesitation shooting the ball from deep and even flashed some two-way ability with a block on Jamal Murray and a three-pointer on the other end.

Gabe Vincent struggled to find his place in the offense, however. The former Miami Heat guard scored six points on 3-of-8 shooting while tying Davis with a team-low minus-17 for the game. Vincent tried some off-ball movement to get going, a large factor in his success with Miami, but his teammates weren't finding him. Part of this can be attributed to a lack of chemistry, which will develop as the season goes along.

Forward Cam Reddish played 18 minutes this game and proved to be a solid contributor, scoring seven points on 2-of-4 shooting. The 24-year-old was active on defense and played within the offense, which is all you can ask out of an end-of-bench player.

Centers Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood — brought in to provide big-man depth for the Lakers — played a fair amount this game. Wood scored seven points and snagged four rebounds in his 15 minutes of play, while Hayes floundered in his limited minutes, registering one rebound, and was minus-seven in seven minutes. 

The Lakers will look to bounce back from the tough loss against another Western Conference rival, the Phoenix Suns, on Thursday.