It hasn’t been all sunshine in Los Angeles, as three-time NBA Champion LeBron James leads his team of young, promising talent mixed with a few proven journeymen to a slightly above average 13-9 record in this very young NBA season.
Many critics questioned why LeBron moved to the Western Conference. Is he there strictly for basketball and winning championships? Or is he there to ride out the latter half of his career and continue to build his many business ventures and endorsements outside of basketball?
LeBron has had a history of slow starts with the previous teams that he has moved to. With the Miami Heat in 2010, the star-studded super team began the season with a mediocre 9-8 season. In his triumphant return to Cleveland, he started the 2014 season with an 8-7 record.
This Los Angeles Lakers team is far from a super one. LeBron’s former offseason rivals Lance Stephenson and Rajon Rondo are finally on a championship contending team with LeBron instead of fighting to knock him off of his throne. Javale McGee looks to continue his success after winning a championship with the Warriors the season before.
Former No. 2 pick in the 2017 draft Lonzo Ball is coming into his own as a great player to complement LeBron. Brandon Ingram has gotten the co-sign by LeBron as being “the next one up.” The Lakers also found a late first round gem in Kyle Kuzma, who has many attributes that makes, him very tough to guard.
This season has been an interestingly challenging one for King James. Venturing from the Eastern Conference to the Western is no easy task. The Western Conference has been significantly stronger than the Eastern for the better part of a decade now.
So, what has been slowing the Lakers down? The real issue is the massive challenge of players changing their play style to fit LeBron’s game play. LeBron, a point forward, is the most efficient player on the court on a nightly basis.
With LeBron being ball dominant, the players around him have to conform and become spot up shooters and slashers to the basket. The outlook may seem bleak right now, but LeBron has always found a way to figure out what his teammates do best and maximize their potential. LeBron James has always found a way to win.
