"I think that sums up the talent gap that exists between the Lakers and other contenders in the West" - Tim Bontemps offers his take on LeBron James' comments on how he wished he was a tennis or golf player
LeBron James made remarkable comments on "The Shop," wishing he was a tennis or golf player.
King James shared he has "sleepless nights" when he feels that not everyone in the franchise has a "win or bust" mentality.
On ESPN's "Get Up," NBA insider Tim Bontemps said James indirectly said that the Lakers, as presently constructed, are not championship contenders.
"The other message is my team isn't good enough, right, which is why he wants to play by himself. But you're not playing one-on-one, you're playing 15 on 15 or 5 on 5 and in those settings, the Lakers just aren't good enough.
"Last year, the Lakers were outscored with LeBron on the court. First time it's happened to his team since his rookie year in the NBA. I think that sums up the talent gap that exists between the Lakers and other contenders in the West," Bontemps said.
The Los Angeles Lakers endured a poor 2021-22 season, failing to make the play-in tournament. James had an MVP-caliber season, and yet the Lakers failed miserably.
.@TimBontemps says LeBron was sending another message by playing in the Drew League and his comments on "The Shop" 👀
"The other message is, 'My team isn't good enough.'" https://t.co/CzrOrZCc1x
Is LeBron James right about the Lakers not being good enough?
The Los Angeles Lakers have overhauled their roster ahead of the upcoming season. Last year's strategy was to go with experienced players. The Lakers changed their approach this summer, focusing on youth and athleticism.
The Lakers still need better outside shooting. No current Lakers shoot three-pointers at a rate of more than 40%.
Most PPG in 19th season:
29.7 — LeBron James
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
16
15
14.6 — Kareem-Abdul Jabbar
That gap is bigger than Kareem and 0. LeBron has lapped the field. https://t.co/q5ZhUpJvJ0
Their inability to put together a better roster around James is due to the three max contracts on the roster. The failure to move Russell Westbrook and the unwillingness to move Anthony Davis has hindered the front office from acquiring better players.
LeBron James is quite right about the Lakers. However, a move for Kyrie Irving and possibly Joe Harris could completely change the team. Should the Lakers land Irving and Harris, they could become contenders.