"You should be relieved that LeBron is as high as 7 on this list” - NBA analyst believes Lebron James has been ranked appropriately on top 100 list, sees him as a defeated leader who led Lakers to season loss
NBA analyst Skip Bayless believes LeBron James' ranking on the top 100 list is fair and that the four-time champion is not a top five player anymore. After a disappointing last season, LeBron James and the LA Lakers will look to regroup as a much better team this season.
As we move closer to the opening day, CBS Sports released the top 100 player rankings for the 2022-23 season, which notably included James at number seven. Anthony Davis was at No. 16, whereas Russell Westbrook was all the way down at 98.
On Fox Sports' "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed, Skip Bayless said:
"This guy named Kawhi will be back and he's ranked eighth and he should be at least seven. I saw him carrying the Clippers towards the finals, if he had stayed healthy, if Joe Ingles hadn't bumped him. LeBron should be eighth.
.@RealSkipBayless on LeBron not ranked in the Top 5 in latest NBA Top 100 rankings:
"You should be relieved that LeBron is as high as 7 on this list. LeBron led the Fakers to a 33-49 record and they missed the Play-In Tournament. With LeBron on your team, how do you do that?" https://t.co/RGrn9rbzEg
"You should be relieved that LeBron is as high as 7 on this list. LeBron led the Fakers to a 33-49 record and they missed the Play-In Tournament. Missed the Play-In? With LeBron James on your team? How do you do that?"
What happens if LeBron James and co. have another dud season?
LeBron James will turn 38 next year, and it is not very clear for how long he will be able to sustain the level at which he plays. He will be 39 when his current deal with the Lakers ends.
The Lakers clearly believe in James' longevity, and the two-year contract could possibly be their last chance to win an NBA championship with LeBron James.
Sources: Four-time NBA champion LeBron James has agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million maximum contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, taking him under contract through 2024-25 season.
If the Lakers are able to enhance the pieces around James and Davis, they will have a good chance of winning the title in the near future. So, even if the 2022-23 season doesn't go according to plan, there will be hope in the subsequent two seasons. However, those hopes are contingent on Anthony Davis staying healthy for the majority of the season.
Anthony Davis has been injury prone throughout his career, but more so in the last two seasons. He only played 40 games last season. Besides him, there isn't a single player on the Lakers roster that can be seen playing for the team for the next four or five seasons.
If Davis were to suffer another injury next season that kept him from playing 50+ games, the Lakers are without a shadow of a doubt doomed.