3 things we learned from LeBron James and Russell Westbrook's preseason debut for the LA Lakers

#2 Russell Westbrook needs time to fit in

Russel Westbrook at the LA Lakers' Media Day

The issue with blockbuster trades lies in the egos that follow the players involved. Russell Westbrook is a perennial All-Star, so there is always some ego involved and rightfully so. He is a demanding teammate, and that translates to his play on the court.

Fitting in with the pace and intensity of Russell Westbrook will take time. Frank Vogel commented on that by saying that the LA Lakers would try to play to his pace as opposed to him adjusting to the Lakers'. This adjustment will take time, though, and it has to happen as a collaborative effort.

In today's game, Westbrook looked a little out of his elements. The aspect of the game that jumped off the page were his whopping six turnovers in 17 minutes of play.

That indicates that Russell Westbrook is in a position to create and contribute to the team, but there are still some adjustments to be made. It's also the first game he has played with the team against serious opposition. So this performance can be taken with a pinch of salt, as everyone in the team is working towards getting game-ready.

---

#3 LeBron James will have to play off ball

LeBron James made his preseason debut for the LA Lakers.

For the most part, this is what Lakers fans expected ahead of the preseason debuts for LeBron James and Russell Westbrook. The LA Lakers had been preaching this even before training camp. Westbrook would run the point, while James would focus on being a scorer and play off the ball.

While LeBron James has played as the primary facilitator for a large part of his career and has done so successfully with the Lakers too, it has posed a bigger challenge for him to mentally transition into becoming a scorer.

It is still too early to make these statements, but the initial optics suggest that LeBron James needs to switch to playing off the ball. By giving Russell Westbrook the keys to the offense, that would allow Westbrook to get involved with the team and assimilate in the system. More importantly, it would take the burden of playmaking off James, thus reducing the mental fatigue he has to endure.

While the LA Lakers still find a way to establish an identity with regards to their style of play, their errors in the game against the Golden State Warriors were glaring. Dwight Howard showed up as the key player for the LA Lakers along with Rajon Rondo.

As LeBron James and Russell Westbrook continue to find a way to strike a balance and find their rhythm, their combination with Anthony Davis should be something to look forward to.