LeBron James helps Lakers dissect opening loss to Warriors - ESPN

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — When the Los Angeles Lakers reviewed the tape of their disappointing 119-109 opening-night loss to the Golden State Warriors, coach JJ Redick said there was an important voice in the room as they sifted through the wreckage: LeBron James.

«LeBron was really helpful,» Redick said after practice Wednesday.

James, dressed in a suit and glasses, appeared stoic in his padded seat at the end of the bench Tuesday as he missed his first regular-season opener of his 23-year career because of sciatica affecting his lower back and right leg.

While James won't be re-evaluated for another one to two weeks and sources told ESPN's Shams Charania he isn't expected to make his season debut until mid-November, he was active in the film session when the coaching staff pointed out how L.A. allowed Stephen Curry and Buddy Hield to shoot too many open 3s.

«We did a poor job of locating the lasers in transition, which was a point of emphasis of our defense,» Redick said. «Buddy Hield got two [3-pointers] off in the second half. Steph got one right in front of our bench in the first half. That was literally the second priority of the game, was locating those guys in transition. So, clean that up and again talk through that.… All of us kind of talked about that in film.»

Redick said he encourages the discourse that the 40-year-old James can stir for the team.

«I told them him asking questions, him giving his input, us having a back-and-forth is so healthy,» Redick said. «I would like to have dialogue and back-and-forth and questions every single time we do film and teach. You got a question, speak up. If you want to make a point, speak up. It was good.»

Hield and Curry combining to shoot 8-for-19 from 3, while the Lakers