"LeBron & KD were the 2 best players in basketball" - Nick Wright frustrated with LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets fighting for a Play-In spot
LeBron James was in high spirits on Monday night, facing off against his former team – the Cleveland Cavaliers. After forty minutes on the floor, James recorded a triple-double with 38 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists in the 131-120 win. And he did all that, without making a single three-pointer – winding back the clock.
Veteran guards D.J. Augustin and Russell Westbrook were major contributors as well, racking up 20 points apiece. While the LA Lakers still have a long road ahead, James’ historic night gave the fans something to be joyous about – in a rather difficult season.
"The Lakers stink & they make me angry watching them. ... 10 yrs ago, LeBron & KD were the best 2 players in basketball & met in the Finals. 5 yrs later, they met in the Finals again. Today, they're are fighting for the play-in w/ no title hopes. It's frustrating."—@getnickwright https://t.co/OLM0YAhSHl
However, NBA analyst Nick Wright echoed a different emotion on “First Things First”, as the crew discussed James’ contribution in the outing:
“I think I’ve been quite consistent. The team [Lakers] stinks and they make me angry, watching them play. That’s how I felt. I was angry watching this basketball game last night.”
LeBron James has played 54 games this season, scoring thirty points or more in 32 of them. At age 37, he has been handling the team’s scoring responsibilities, with barely any consistent support. Moreover, the Lakers are ninth in the West, battling to keep their playoff hopes alive – in what was supposed to be a title contending season for the franchise.
LeBron James is leading the league in scoring with 30.0 PPG.
The previous record for oldest player to average 30 in a season is 33 years old (Steph and Jordan).
LeBron is four years older than them. https://t.co/ssJyHY9LUl
Wright went on to draw a parallel with Kevin Durant’s performance and his team’s situation this season – to explain his frustration – by saying:
“Because ten years ago Wildes, LeBron and KD were the best two players in basketball, and they met in the NBA Finals. Five years later, they were still the best two players in basketball, and they met in the NBA Finals again. Five years after that, we sit here today – I don’t think they’re the two best players in basketball, but I think they’re two of the three, Giannis, LeBron and KD. And their two teams are fighting for the play-in. No championship hopes what so ever.”
Will LeBron James be able to maitain his hot scoring streak until the end of the season?
Despite the LA Lakers’ struggles, James has still managed to put up an incredible season – in terms of individual performance. Wins have been scarce and as a result, championship chances are looking bleak.
But Nick Wright finds it frustrating that James’ heroics aren’t really helping the Lakers’ case:
“It’s incredibly frustrating to see that LeBron can still do that to Kevin Love, can still score 38 points – almost all at the rim and all those beloved fadeaway jumpers, that you guys idolize so much, because they remind you of Michael Jordan – and it’s for nothing. It’s for a good night of basketball and that’s it.”
In his 19th NBA season, James is leading the league in scoring, with an average of thirty points per game. He recently passed Karl Malone on the all-time scoring list, with just Kareem Abdul Jabbar now ahead of him. But there is a possibility that LeBron James might not make the playoffs, which is definitely a heart-breaking prospect for him and Lakers fans alike.
"Just want to get a win. That's all that matters to me." - @KingJames https://t.co/P3qZL5vr3J
The LA Lakers (31-41) seem destined to feature in the Play-In tournament this season, having had difficulties finding wins. They’re currently in a situation where every additional loss will be detrimental to their chances and that puts pressure on James to perform every night, despite managing injuries to an aging body.