It was a nightmare start to pre-season for the LA Lakers, and LeBron James has been warned of the 'problems' he could face this season.
It was an underwhelming season for the Lakers last time out, and with just a 0.402 win percentage they failed to qualify for the play-offs. But it looks like they may be in for another poor year after suffering a brutal 75-105 loss to the Sacramento Kings to begin their pre-season campaign.
The Kings finished lower than the Lakers last season, and are suffering the longest play-off drought in NBA history. But after humiliating the Lakers on Monday night, James has been warned that there is no improvement, which will alarm the 37-year-old.
James doesn't have much else to prove in his career, and the four-time NBA Champion can retire a happy man when the time comes. But that doesn't change that he is still hungry for more, and a born winner.
But after another poor performance, James has been warned that it could be more of the same for the Lakers, who have overseen a significant drop off since their title win in 2020.
Shannon Sharpe didn't hold back when slating the Lakers' poor start to pre-season, and fired a huge red flag James' way on Undisputed, as he said: "I don't want to overreact because it's pre-season and these guys are trying to get some conditioning, but everything seems to be a struggle again. Everything seems to be a struggle, just like it was last year.
"They don't get a lot of cheap baskets they don't get out and transition, so to be short, I don't see a 60 win team. Like I said, it's only one pre-season game, I think they have four or five more to go, and we will see how they take shape.
"LeBron was zero from seven on the floor last night, but I'm not too concerned about him. But right now, I see more problems with the Lakers than plusses.
"What did they add from last year? Just because it's pre-season doesn't mean you can't do some things well. For me, I still see all of the same problems."
It was far from a prolific night for James, who only managed four points in 15 minutes of play time. But it's likely the rust is still yet to be cleared, as James is yet to let the Lakers down when it comes to the big moments.
However, something isn't right in LA, although Anthony Davis' 11-point haul will at least bring some optimism as he looked sharp. The Lakers play the Phoenix Suns before facing both the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves before ending their pre-season against the Kings once more, and it'll be a good indicator on whether they have improved.
