“They’re wasting LeBron’s 20th year” - Chris Broussard on how narratives around LeBron James have been detrimental for LA Lakers
The LA Lakers are seemingly thriving without LeBron James. They are 3-1 over the past four games and 3-3 for the season minus the four-time MVP.
Here’s what analyst Chris Broussard had to say regarding the Lakers’ resurgence without their franchise player:
“What are the questions surrounding the Lakers, what are people complaining about with the Lakers when LeBron’s there? 'They’re wasting LeBron’s 20th year, they gotta get LeBron more help, they gotta get him another ring.’ It becomes all about LeBron. … That’s the atmosphere around the team and that can be deflating to other players.”
(Starts at the 4:55 mark)
Wherever he has played, LeBron James has always been the center of everything that goes on with the franchise. Whether it’s the signing of free agents or how the game plan is made, the 18x All-Star has always had a big influence on those things.
Following a humiliating campaign last season, the Lakers and, to some extent, “King James” are under enormous pressure to deliver. As the face of the franchise and arguably the league, his presence dominates nearly everything the Lakers do off and on the court.
For some of the players on the team who haven’t had the kind of scrutiny and hoopla surrounding LeBron James, the experience can be overwhelming. It’s one thing to play alongside a superstar and it’s an entirely different thing to play with a GOAT candidate. Some have thrived while others have succumbed to the pressure.
James is also chasing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time career scoring record. This has brought more drama and anticipation every time the Lakers play. Some players aren’t just built to live up to the big moments, even in regular-season games.
Without James in the lineup, the Lakers have played looser and with more rhythm and energy as everybody gets more touches than usual. Even in their loss to the Phoenix Suns, the Lakers were competitive and showed spunk and fight despite the absence of James.
The LA Lakers, though, aren’t going anywhere if James is sidelined for long. His teammates who haven’t adapted to it yet will have to quickly settle in and do their jobs better.
Anthony Davis has been making the LA Lakers tick without LeBron James
Role players such as Troy Brown Jr. and Austin Reaves have stepped up big time minus LeBron James. Unquestionably, though, it has been Anthony Davis’ jaw-dropping performances over the past four games that have made the Lakers formidable.
AD has been on the kind of tear that only legends such as Shaquille O’Neal and Elgin Baylor have accomplished. Davis is averaging 35.5 points, 18.3 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 2.5 blocks over the past four games. He is hitting 62.3% of his field goals and 92.0% of his free throws.
Anthony Davis is just the third Laker in franchise history to record 30+ points and 15+ rebounds in four consecutive games, joining:
Elgin Baylor (7 Streaks)
Shaquille O’Neal: 11/19/1999 – 11/26/1999 https://t.co/ZYslLvi81S
If Davis manages to sustain this performance despite the return of LeBron James, then the Lakers may be on to something. They just might be able to turn their season around despite the inherent pressure, scrutiny, and hoopla that envelope “King James.”