Still and always awaited at the turn by his many detractors, LeBron James continues to postpone his decline. He nevertheless proves unable to offer enough victories to the Lakers, which he has been sharply criticized lately!
With 4 defeats in a row, and 7 conceded in the last 10 games, it’s not easy to apply for a place in the Top 10 of a still competitive Western Conference. The Lakers (13-20) therefore stagnate in the bottom of the standings, and seem to be badly embarked on the fight for the playoffs in the absence of Anthony Davis. Only LeBron James manages to float as he approaches his 38th birthday:
LeBron James over the last 7 Games:
35 PTS – 5 REB – 5 AST – 58% FG
33 PTS – 9 REB – 9 AST – 56% FG
30 PTS – 9 REB – 4 AST – 65% FG
33 PTS – 7 REB – 9 AST – 54% FG
30 PTS – 6 REB – 11 AST – 52% FG
34 PTS – 2 REB – 8 AST – 65% FG
38 PTS – 6 REB – 5 AST – 56% FG pic.twitter.com/duXelB86gh— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) December 25, 2022
LeBron James, culprit n ° 1 of the setbacks of the Lakers?
Always in pursuit of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record, LeBron is inevitably getting closer, without however dragging the Lakers in his wake. Visibly upset by his team’s recent results, he would have played a big role in this debacle. In any case, this is what Jeff Van Gundy said in an interview with NBA.com a margin du Christmas Day :
LeBron is always going to do his stats. But when you apply to play at a very high level, you also have to ensure that your team wins. The Lakers have been bad for two years. It may not be his fault, but he is 100% responsible. This is how it should be judged. He set the bar incredibly high. He’s still playing well on an individual level, especially on offense, but the Lakers aren’t good.
LeBron has some responsibility in this. He has a great deal of responsibility in the composition of the workforce. It’s a difficult position for him.
Renowned for his so-called shadow GM role on the Los Angeles side, LBJ would have dug his own grave with his choices to constitute his supporting cast in recent years.
Favorable to the arrival of Russell Westbrook rather than that of Buddy Hield during the 2021 offseason, the King is often criticized for this decision which has not paid off at all. Let him be reassured nevertheless, since everyone does not incriminate him in this way despite the delicate period crossed by the Angelinos. Some fans indeed prefer to pity him for a few days.
Impeccable from a statistical point of view, LeBron James deserves to be targeted for the poor form of the Lakers according to Jeff Van Gundy. A well-defined point of view that will struggle to achieve unanimity, but which will certainly make a lot of noise!
