Breaking News: LeBron James Faces Multi-Million Dollar Lawsuit Over Contract Dispute….
LeBron and the Lakers Face a Crossroads
The Lakers won the title in 2020, but the roster has since declined. Valuable rotation players such as Alex Caruso, Kyle Kuzma, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have departed. Big mistakes have been made, headlined by the trade for Russell Westbrook. The offense has suffered, not placing in the top 10 in any of LeBron’s seasons in Los Angeles. This season, the Lakers are 21st in offensive rating and only 15th in defensive rating, even as LeBron is still shining and his costar Anthony Davis is playing his best basketball in years.
Bron and AD aren’t the perfect duo, of course. Davis still doesn’t regularly shoot 3s, and the offense can’t run through him, while James jogs on defense more than ever before. Lineups with both of them have outscored opponents by a mere 0.3 points per 100 possessions. LeBron is still great, but not to the extent that he can will his team to wins on a nightly basis. Even he needs help.
And so for the third consecutive season, the front office needs to make a move to reverse offseason blunders and give the Lakers a chance to win it all. There is no trade that general manager Rob Pelinka can make ahead of the February 8 deadline that would turn the Lakers into favorites, but by adding more two-way talent, he can give the team a better chance