The Los Angeles Lakers were without point guard Russell Westbrook Wednesday night in Denver. The Lakers lost again, 110-99 to the Nuggets, dropping them to 0-4 on the season. It is the first time since LeBron James' rookie year that his team began a season losing their first four games. 

After the game, James was asked about whether or not the team missed Westbrook's aggressiveness. LeBron answered invoking how much the team misses Dennis Schroder. He did however give some advice for Westbrook, who is dealing with a hamstring injury.

“”Obviously, we miss not only Russ [Westbrook], we miss Dennis [Schroder], his ability to get in the lane, his ability to make plays,” said James. “Russ definitely dealing with a hamstring. I played with D-Wade in Miami… You gotta like just be cool on that. You can't force it until that thing is ready to go.”

James is referring to the propensity for hamstring injuries to persist. Time and again in athletics, when a player dealing with a hamstring injury returns too soon, it could only worsen the situation.

However, this response is also notable considering the temperature in the room. Some people could perceive this as a message to stay away.

Russell Westbrook has essentially been labeled an outcast in the Lakers locker room by the media. He is a turnover-prone guard that can't shoot. But Westbrook is not the reason for the Lakers' struggles. He is simply a symptom of the problem. Almost no one on this team can shoot.

The Lakers are setting records for their inability to shoot from beyond the arc.