It really was just one game. The first of 82, against a projected defensive juggernaut and the consensus title favorite. And its not like the Lakers got run off the court in their 112-102 loss to the Clippers on Tuesday.

But one game could very easily become two on Friday against the Utah Jazz, a team expected to contend for a top seed in the Western Conference. And even with a relatively soft early season schedule, two could become more faster than some media and many (most?) fans might have expected.

In this city with this team two superstars, championship expectations, intense scrutiny and a coaching staff constructed to promote palace intrigue (during the game, I couldnt resist my own tongue-in-cheek-but-undeniably trollish Tweet on the Frank Vogel/Jason Kidd dynamic) thats enough to very quickly crank the amps up to 11.

Its why LeBron James wisely went hard on process and context following Tuesdays loss,...

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As the Lakers build chemistry, LeBron James works to keep the temperature down - The Athletic