Remember opening night of the NBA season?
I can forgive you if (check calendar) 15 days ago feels like a lifetime at this moment. On October 24, the Lakers kicked off the new season against the Nuggets, and LeBron James only played 29 minutes. After the game, James reluctantly admitted that the team had plans for him when he was 21 years old, reducing his playing time with an eye on the playoffs.
Here is LeBron’s total playing time in the next six games: 35 minutes, 39 minutes (including overtime), 33 minutes, 42 minutes (overtime again), 35 minutes and 37 minutes.
Not only have the Lakers almost completely reversed their minutes management scheme, but James is currently averaging more minutes per game (35.9) than last season, which would be his second-highest minutes per game since heading west in 2019.
And the Lakers may have no choice! In fact, some think Los Angeles may need to play him more.
That’s because — despite the obviously small sample size of just seven games — the Lakers have completely rotted away without James on the floor.Los Angeles Is a Shocking San Andreas Fault Rumble, According to Cleaning the Glass 48.6 Points per 100 possessions (!!!) are better this year with James on the court. The Lakers have a +11.6 goal differential when James is on the court and -37.0 when he’s on the bench, like the Washington Generals.
Jason Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports
Now, LeBron has been one of the league leaders in on/off differential. He had a margin of 95% or better in 13 of his previous 20 seasons, according to CTG, including many other years when he played with superstar teammates. This year, not even Anthony Davis’ presence can keep the team afloat without James. In the 81 minutes with Davis on and LeBron off, Los Angeles had a minus-41.7 goal differential. (Meanwhile, the Lakers are +11.4 when James plays without Davis.)
On the one hand, it’s very interesting to marvel at this. In 21 years, James remains the undisputed driving force behind the franchise’s success. The Lakers rely on him like any other superstar in the league. LeBron is delivering on his promise. His numbers are still impressive (25.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per night) and he’s currently shooting 56.1 percent from the field, which would be his highest mark since 2014, his final year in Miami. .
On the other hand, well…aren’t the Lakers supposed to be better than this? A big part of the problem is injuries. Rui Hachimura missed time. Gabe Vincent struggled early in the year but is now out. Jared Vanderbilt has yet to play in a game. Meanwhile, Austin Reaves is in a slump and his time with Davis (and without LeBron) has been a disaster so far. Still, there is hope for the Lakers. If they get healthy and Reeves looks like Reeves, Los Angeles could be cooking again.
Now, watching LeBron carry this team on his back is as enjoyable as it was in 2020…or ’17…or ’13…or ’08. The concern, however, is that this heavy early workload could have consequences in the spring. If the Lakers want to play on the final night of the season, they will almost certainly need to find a way to survive without LeBron.