Lakers’ J.R. Smith and Dion Waiters Leave LeBron James Super Impressed After Scrimmage Against Wizards

The Los Angeles Lakers ended their scrimmages with a win. They started with a loss against the Dallas Mavericks. But they were able to bounce back with two wins against the Orlando Magic and the Washington Wizards. In the third game against the Wizards, LeBron James and Anthony Davis sat out, but the rest of the team stepped up, as the Lakers won 123-116.

New recruits Dion Waiters and JR Smith made most of the opportunity. Waiters scored 18 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and had six assists as well. Smith showed off his elite shooting ability, making six shots all from beyond the arc while missing just three. He ended with 20 points and five rebounds.

LeBron enjoyed this show from the sidelines and then took to Instagram to show his appreciation for the new duo.

Will LeBron James and the Lakers keep this momentum going?

Despite it just being a scrimmage game, coach Frank Vogel will be happy with how his bench unit has been playing. Kyle Kuzma had a poor first game against the Mavericks, going 4/13. Then he redeemed himself against the Magic in the next game, shooting 10/13.

Alex Caruso was finally able to play a full game. He missed the first one due to injury and got fouled out early from the second. Against the Wizards, he put up 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. He also shot 3/4 from the three-point and got 3 steals to have an all-round solid performance. With Avery Bradley and Rajon Rondo out, Vogel will be delighted with that performance.

The Los Angeles Lakers face their rivals, LA Clippers, in the first seeded game on July 30. The Clippers camp crumbled into disarray after guard Lou Williams broke bubble protocol. On the other hand, the Lakers have been a tight-knit unit, with Caruso not attending his sister’s wedding so he can focus on the Lakers campaign.

Now the Lakers just need to keep this positivity going into the playoffs. With James and Davis on the team, the Lakers can beat any team if they are locked in.

Sources:

Los Angeles Lakers Schedule

LeBron James on Instagram