The Los Angeles Lakers currently find themselves playing their best basketball of the season as they are on a six-game win streak. The first three wins of that streak came with LeBron James sidelined due to injury, which just so happened to coincide with Austin Reaves returning to his early-season form.
This led to an interesting debate in which many some suggested that the Lakers might be a better team without LeBron James and, in fairness, there were some numbers backing this theory up. But someone who does not believe this theory in any way, shape or form is Klutch Sports co-founder and LeBron’s agent, Rich Paul. In the latest episode of his “Game Over” podcast alongside Max Kellerman, Paul dismissed any notion that a team can be better without James, even at this stage of his career.
“I hate to keep talking about the Lakers, but we have to… But you hear all the nonsense about the team being better without LeBron. I never seen a team in my life that would be better without LeBron James… Still this one not either, because of all the things you just said. I think it’s more so about figuring it out and sometimes it takes you longer than not because, for a guy that’s been on the ball for so long, how do you play him off the ball? But then obviously you’re putting him in the corner because that’s supposed to be second side action, but that may not work there… But it also takes you a while to figure it out and you also have to understand or factor in his presence. You gotta realize something. Most guys that step on the basketball floor with LeBron James, number one, are in awe if they’re not trying to pretend like they’re bigger than somebody else. If they’re not putting on an act, per Oscars.”
Paul makes some fair points, particularly that sometimes it takes longer for players to figure out how best to operate alongside each other. And the Lakers’ injury issues and lack of time on the court between James, Reaves and Luka Doncic undoubtedly made the process longer.
But things are clicking into place now as LeBron has embraced more of a supporting role, allowing Reaves to handle more of the offensive workload and it has helped the Lakers reach a new level as of late. And now the Lakers look like a team that could make some noise in the playoffs.
LeBron James: Lakers win over Rockets felt like playoff basketball
The Lakers’ most recent victory was a hard-fought battle over the Houston Rockets in which defense carried them as their offense struggled. And in the eyes of James, that game felt like playoff basketball.
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