LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis, and the 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers began training camp on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

Here are five major takeaways through two weeks and change of preseason games and practices at the UCLA Health Training Center.

1) Theme: “Figuring it out”

The Lakers are 0-5 in exhibitions. Yet, as I detailed yesterday, they, justifiably, aren't overly concerned After all: it's a marathon, not a sprint — as Frank Vogel, LeBron, Russ, and Co. continually remind us.

“I don’t have an answer for that one, honestly,” Westbrook said Tuesday when asked if the Lakers have an internal timeline for developing chemistry. “I know that’s the question everybody keeps asking. Nobody has a real answer for that. We’re just going to play like every other team and then we’re going to figure it out. We don’t know need to figure it out when the first game is.”

“It could take all year to really be at our best, and ideally, that’s when we are at our best — going into the playoffs,” Vogel said.

In addition to the natural growing pains that come with a revamped roster, the Lakers are incorporating substantive stylistic adjustments into their offensive scheme, which has been relatively staid over the past two seasons — particularly in half-court sets (Vogel's defensive scheme is largely status quo).

“We pretty much have got a whole new offensive system this year that we’ve been working through over our practices since training camp started,” LeBron said. “It’s an adjustment for us offensively, just having guys in different positions, having guys in different places on the floor with our new look and what we’re trying to do.”

We've seen plenty of glimpses of the type of complex actions the Lakers are experimenting with (as Vogel calls it, “collecting sample sizes.'”)

The turnovers have been out of control — especially for Russ — though nobody is sounding the alarm, just yet.

“The turnover stuff is on me,” Westbrook said. “But good thing (is) they don’t count. I could turn that b*tch over 15 times, ain’t nobody going to do nothing about it.”

“Normally I’m so used to guys on other teams playing me to score. Now they play me to pass a lot, which is different for me,” he added. “But I’ll figure it out. It’s just some easy reads for me. Once I dunk a few, people will start coming and helping, and I’m there diming. It’s up to me to be that. I’m just kind [of] predetermining my passes, and they’re just waiting and baiting me. …It’s an easy, literally easy, fix for me, and I’ll figure it out.”

The whole thing is a work in progress, but the diversity of activity is encouraging.

2) The injury bug has struck … the young guys?

Unfortunately, the biggest story of Lakers training camp was the biggest story of last season: health.

Besides Austin Reaves, every Lakers player on the active roster under the age of 28 has suffered an injury in camp. Talen Horton-Tucker (thumb surgery) is out four weeks, at least. Malik Monk (groin strain) and Kendrick Nunn (ankle sprain) remain questionable for Opening Night.

Plus, Trevor Ariza (ankle surgery) will miss two months, and Wayne Ellington has a Grade 1 hamstring strain that could sideline him for weeks.

 

Generally speaking, these ailments are not long-term concerns. Still, it's deflating and counterproductive as the team attempts to jell — especially considering how THT, Monk, and Nunn played early in the preseason.

Fortunately, unlike the team's difficult 2020-21 campaign, the Lakers aren't cramming cohesion-building into the home stretch of the season. They should have the time and depth to overcome their current ailments. And: the stars the healthy.

3) Anthony Davis looks dominant

Speaking of that…ahead of camp, Davis seemed to be one of the many Lakers who used the extended offseason to get himself back in tip-top shape. Vogel, Rob Pelinka, and, most importantly, myself, have very much been on the record in expecting a massive bounce-back season for one of the game's most dominant two-way players after a massively underwhelming 2020-21 campaign.

So far, so good.

We'll hold off analyzing box scores or per-minute numbers (which are all fine, btw). For now, we can marvel at AD's apparent physicality and athleticism. Davis is defending and running the floor with verve and aggression, and looks rejuvenated to run with Westbrook — which he discussed at media day — and catch lobs from Rajon Rondo, with whom he shares distinct chemistry dating back to the bubble title run.

 

Davis is my pick for Defensive Player of the Year, and could very well earn MVP buzz should he lead the Lakers in scoring — a scenario not off the table.

Both Vogel and LeBron have stated in camp that the Lakers want to lead the league in fast-break points. AD's ability to turn defense into transition opportunities will drive that effort.

https://twitter.com/_JasonLT/status/1448692875168915463

4) Did the Lakers strike gold again with an undrafted rookie?

The Lakers' developmental pipeline has hit it out of the park over the past half-decade, including, of course, with undrafted Alex Caruso.

Austin “Hillbilly Kobe” Reaves could be next in line.

After displaying a natural, Caruso-esque feel for the game at Summer League, Reaves evidently impressed the Lakers in their pre-training camp excursion to Las Vegas, as the front office converted his deal into a guaranteed contract, awarding him the 14th spot on the active roster.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
lebron james lakers jarred vanderbilt

Michael Corvo ·

LeBron James (Lakers) as a guy voting

Rexwell Villas ·

NBA Legend Shaquille O'Neal looked back at his breif stint with LeBron James & the Cavaliers and wishes he'd arrived two years sooner.

Randall Barnes ·

“I watched a lot of film on him when we drafted him, actually,” LeBron said following Tuesday's game, in which Reaves ran in a lineup alongside James, Davis, Melo, and Russ. “I knew right away that he could be an NBA player and play at this level. His size, his shot-making ability, his pick-and-roll play, his passing, a high IQ kid. And he’s got a lot of dog in him, too, that translates to our game.”

Rondo, too, has praised his inquisitiveness, while Vogel acknowledged that Reaves has earned his trust.

Thus far, Reaves has seemingly justified the instant promotion. He could crash the Lakers rotation at some point.

As for the other fringe players: Chaundee Brown has made a case for a two-way contract with sheer effort and has stood out more than Joel Ayayi, who currently holds one two-way. (Sekou Doumbouya is yet to play for Los Angeles after being signed via the other available two-way). Mac McClung saw limited preseason reps before, as expected, he was waived and signed to the South Bay Lakers of the G League.

Trevelin Queen — the leading scorer and highest flyer at Summer League — has seen just 31 minutes of exhibition action, though he did make a statement during a recent scrimmage:

5) Intensity is high

In that spirit, by all accounts, the Lakers have been going extremely hard in practices. Since Day 1, Vogel and LeBron have lauded the intensity of the runs at Lakers camp. As Marc Stein noted, the Lakers are one of the few teams in the league still deploying two-a-days, and they've been burning rubber in scrimmages at El Segundo.

This is one of the side effects and net positives of the presence of Westbrook (and Rondo). The focus and competitive drive with which they enter the facility are contagious.

“Our energy has been off-the-charts good,” Vogel said early in camp. “Really attentive to what we're trying to install with regards to our system and our culture.”

Now, if only they can keep that energy up while avoiding sending folks to the injured list.