LeBron James has taken on a completely different role this season for the Los Angeles Lakers. After missing the first 14 games of the year, James has mostly played off-ball role with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves being the primary creators for the team.
With both Doncic and Reaves playing at such a high level this year, and James’ improvements as a shooter, the move made sense. But with Reaves out at least a month, the Lakers will likely need LeBron to return to that familiar role as a primary playmaker.
When asked about balancing the roles as a playmaker and an outlet to relieve pressure on Doncic and the other guards, James noted that he has been primarily an off-ball player for the Lakers this season, but if the coaches need him to be more on-ball, he is ready and willing.
“I haven’t really been on the ball,” LeBron said after the Lakers’ loss to the Detroit Pistons. “I don’t know if you watched any of our games this year, but I haven’t really been on the ball as much. I’ve been playing off the ball a lot. It’s something I can get back into, but still you got to get back into the rhythm of that.
“AR and Luka [Doncic] gets us into our offense. Marcus [Smart] has stepped up to help with that role. Nick Smith is going to help us with that role as well. If I need to do that and if the coaches ask me to do that, I can do that. I’ve been playing mostly off the ball this year.”
Indeed, James’ usage rate this season is the lowest of his career while his 6.5 assists per game are his lowest since 2014. In the seven games since Reaves first suffered his injury, LeBron has topped six assists just once and in the loss to the Pistons on Tuesday night he had more turnovers than assists.
As he noted, players like Marcus Smart and Nick Smith Jr. have looked to step up as playmakers in Reaves’ absence, but LeBron won’t hesitate to take on more of a primary creator role as long as it helps the Lakers win.
“Whatever helps the team win, bro. It don’t matter,” James added.
James is one of the greatest playmakers the NBA has ever seen and his versatility has allowed him to fill any role asked of him throughout his career. There is no doubt that he is capable of stepping into a more prominent creator role, it’s simply a matter of if that is best for this Lakers team.
Lakers’ LeBron James feels he is winning battle with Father Time
James celebrated his 41st birthday on Tuesday and remains one of the best players in the NBA despite being in his 23rd NBA season, the first player ever to play that long. And LeBron gave himself a little credit, noting that he feels he is actually winning his ongoing battle with Father Time.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
