“He’s still going to be the maestro, and they need him to be the maestro” - NBA analyst believes LeBron James shouldn’t sacrifice ball-handling responsibilities, says he and his team have to be gritty
New LA Lakers head coach Darvin Ham has preached sacrifice, which will extend to LeBron James. But ESPN senior writer Zach Lowe does not think James should sacrifice ball-handling duties.
Many have suggested that James should change his style of play and work in the post. That way, he will exert less energy while getting more high-percentage shots.
Ham has talked a lot about sacrifices and accountability, stating that the team needs to be gritty throughout the season. While Lowe agrees that the team needs to play tough, he does not believe anyone can handle the rock as well as LBJ.
On "NBA Today" with Malika Andrews, he said:
"I don't really know what sacrifice means for LeBron James on this Lakers team because if it means giving the ball up to other people, I'm not sure that's a good idea. I kind of want LeBron to have the ball basically all the time, every possession, run the show."
Lowe continued:
"What Darvin said about rebounding, boxing out, all the tough gritty stuff, I think that's important. I think the Lakers, as currently constructed, they're gonna need to dial in on all that stuff with all their guys, just not LeBron."
He added about the LA Lakers' depth:
"That's about everybody because their depth is once again a little bit suspect, the fit between their three best players, or their three stars anyway, is a little bit suspect."
Lowe concluded:
"As far as LeBron is role changing at all, he's still going to be the maestro, and they need him to be the maestro because they don't got another maestro near his level."
Although Russell Westbrook is the conventional point guard, James did the bulk of the orchestrating for the Lakers last season. That did not augur well for the purple and gold, as Westbrook is not a great off-ball player.
Can LeBron James win another title with the LA Lakers?
LeBron James promised to bring a title to LA in his time, and the four-time NBA champ has delivered on his promise. The Lakers are the third team LBJ has played for in his career and he has won the title with each of those franchises.
Players to win NBA Championships with three different teams:
- John Salley
- Robert Horry
- LeBron James
- Danny Green https://t.co/X30R6u8GaY
Although James won the title with the Lakers, he has stated that it was not enough. Last season, the Lakers missed the playoffs completely, and "The King" tweeted that he would not miss the postseason for the remainder of his career.
Given how things stand, LeBron James has only one more season to win another title with the Lakers. He has entered the final year of his contract, and it is unclear if he will stay to finish his career with the Lakers.
While James will always be the leader of the team, their chances of succeeding largely lie with Anthony Davis. Despite still performing at the highest level, the 37-year-old LBJ is approaching the tail end of his career. If Davis can stay healthy, LA's title chances will receive an obvious boost.
James, Davis, and Westbrook have reportedly jumped on a call to discuss the upcoming season. It is safe to assume that they are looking to better last season's display and contend for the 2023 title.
Los Angeles Lakers’ Big 3 of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook huddled for a phone conversation to confirm their commitment to each other through the uncertainty, league sources told @YahooSports: sports.yahoo.com/sources-lebron…