The Los Angeles Lakers are rolling. They’ve won eight of their last 10, and finally got LeBron James back on the court.
There was some concern about what his return could mean for team chemistry, but that didn’t look like a problem with the Lakers’ 140-126 win over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday. That said, it’s only been one game against one of the weaker teams in the Western Conference.
James is arguably the greatest basketball player ever, but he has a specific style that doesn’t always mesh with every player. Last year, Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic proved they could play at a high level next to James, but there are new pieces on the roster.
Center Deandre Ayton had an excellent game against the Jazz, scoring 20 points. Many of those points came from assists from James. While Ayton’s first game with James looked great, one Western Conference executive doesn’t buy that the big man will be a fit with the future Hall of Famer.
“I imagine Deandre’s going to be a problem. He’s just not smart enough of a player,” he told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “And the inconsistent effort, LeBron usually has issues with, to say the least.”
One executive was done on the Ayton-James pairing, but another one thinks it’ll work.
“Ayton should benefit the most out of LeBron back,” an Eastern Conference executive told ESPN. “LeBron makes people look good. [He’ll feed Ayton] lobs and dump-offs at the rim.”
So far, the early signs are looking very promising.
Reaves & Doncic Need to Lead by Example
The idea of a team getting worse by adding one of the greatest players ever to the lineup was a strange narrative, but there’s no denying the Lakers were rolling without James.
It’s possible that things could unravel as Los Angeles plays better teams, but Reaves and Doncic could be the most important pieces in keeping team chemistry strong.
“What’s most important is can Austin and Luka have perspective on it?” a Lakers team source told ESPN. “If they handle themselves appropriately, it’s very easy to hold the rest of the other guys accountable when you bring LeBron back.”
James has great relationships with both players, so it’s hard to see how this will be a problem.
Lakers Could be a Problem
Many are focusing on negative talking points surrounding the Lakers, but there hasn’t been a lot of focus on the positives. The team has a bona fide MVP candidate in Doncic, a possible All-NBA guard in Reaves and arguably the smartest player in the league joining the lineup.
Not everybody is down on the Lakers.
“The ability for him to guard big — if they play him and Rui [Hachimura] and Luka, although they’re small, they’re still big as (expletive) and then they can play Austin too, and I don’t really care who you put as the fifth guy,” a West scout told ESPN. “They could be big and skilled at pretty much every position.”
The Lakers have a chance to be a serious problem in the Western Conference if they are able to stay healthy for the playoffs.
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