Lakers Fans Called Out as Big Losers of 2025-26 Preseason

Oct 5, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) greets Golden State Warriors guard Seth Curry while guard Bronny James (9) greets Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II (0) after the game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report recently came out with an article that analyzed the start of the 2025-26 NBA season.

The writer specifically looked at the preseason portion of the schedule — deeming some teams "winners" and some "losers" based on what transpired.

The Los Angeles Lakers, in Bailey's eyes, were a major loser based on LeBron James not being available to build chemistry with the new pieces acquired this offseason.

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"The Los Angeles Lakers going 1-4 [they ultimately went 1-5] is a bit of a bummer in itself. Wins and losses don't mean much before the regular season starts, but you'd certainly prefer to see the former.
But the real problem, of course, is the lengthening timeline of LeBron James' recovery from sciatica. The latest reporting has LeBron targeting a mid-November return.

"If we assume that means he'll be back after L.A.'s five-game road trip from November 8 through November 15, he'll have missed the first 14 games of the season. L.A.'s schedule isn't a murderer's row till then, but if they look underwhelming to that point, you have to wonder if LeBron will be even more conservative about his return."

The James Impact

Bailey continued in saying that the lack of time James has spent basketball-wise with Luka Doncic and Deandre Ayton could cause some on-court issues. The silver lining in all of this is the reality that this projected month without James on the floor could give the fan base some insight into what a Doncic-led future could resemble.

"Beyond all of that, simply being able to see him play alongside Luka Dončić and new center Deandre Ayton would've been instructive. And it now looks like we have to wait several weeks to see how the dynamic between those three will work.

"On the bright side, this could give Lakers fans a good opportunity to see what life beyond LeBron will look like. But if this team wants to compete for a title now, it needs a fully healthy and engaged LeBron."

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There is something to be said about building chemistry on the court. It'll take some time for James and Ayton in particular to learn how one another likes to operate.

At the same time, James is one of the smartest basketball players on the planet. His ability to process and quickly pick things up is one of his greatest skills. The acclimation period likely should be a smooth one as the Lakers aim to finish as an upper-echelon Western Conference team.

For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.