Los Angeles Lakers: 5 takeaways from the first 5 games

4. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s bubble play has carried over

While some players are taking time to ramp up to full intensity, others are still peaking from their performance in the NBA bubble. One of those players is Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who fresh off a three-year, $40 million contract, has continued to play at a high level. In addition to his trademark tenacious defense, he’s also shooting 57.1 percent from the floor and 52.9 percent from 3-point range. Those rates won’t continue over the long haul obviously, but right now he’s killing teams on both ends.

5. The LA Clippers remain a tough matchup for the Los Angeles Lakers

Our fifth takeaway almost reads like a joke considering how the LA Clippers too often comport themselves. The toughest challenger for the Los Angeles Lakers lost a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Semifinals and then went to half last Sunday trailing 77-27 against the Dallas Mavericks? The LA Clippers are a bizarre organization in that both can be true. In the five games these two teams have played since Paul George and Kawhi Leonard came to LA, the Clippers have a 3-2 edge, with the two teams splitting four games last season and the Lakers falling in the 2020-21 season opener. If they ever meet in the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers will be in for a battle, but the Clippers have to find some way of not screwing everything up like they always do just to get there.