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5 Things: Lakers Take Care of Business

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Fresh off a 4 game road trip in which they lost every game and then back home into a back-to-back it would have been easy to forgive the Lakers for losing what can only be described as a trap game. No meaningful stars healthy on the Spurs (sorry CP3), 4 games in 5 days (including travel from the Mile High City) and nearly a whole rotation’s worth of injured players the Lakers could have been forgiven for penciling in the loss and laying an egg. They did not. They took care of business like a team intent on competing for a banner would do. They set about taking care of business.

  1. Lakers won even though Luka couldn’t throw it in the ocean. He scored a couple baskets early and a couple baskets late but in between was an ocean of basketball that Luka couldn’t throw the ball into. Still, he played tremendous defense (3 steals and a block), greased the offensive wheels (14 assists), and rebounded well enough to come up one short of a triple-double (you guessed it…9). I’m pretty sure the Slovenian Sensation would have loved to have shot better but will take the win. Every. Single. Time. Luka’s gravity is an offense creating machine unto itself so just having him on the floor helped others score buckets to bolster the superstar.
  2. Reaves is a legit star now. Nigh untouchable has been the front office credo and we’re all seeing why on a nightly basis. His ability to get into the seems and cause havoc and easy buckets or score his own is looking better and better every season. His defense has improved and his handle has become pretty lethal. Reaves slots in well with all of our line ups, big and small, and continues to have a high impact even when playing with Luka and LeBron. When one sits, Reaves amps it up appropriately. Those are incredible skillsets that aren’t really teachable. he really has an elite feel and IQ for the game and his physical gifts and skills are just catching up to that now. Next season, with a whole summer and camp? Watch out.
  3. Jordan Goodwin needs a standard contract…stat. No offense to either Alex Len or Cam Reddish buuuuuuut…one of you fellers has got to go. My vote is Len but I think that, based on current roster construction, it will be Cam which is unfortunate because he won’t be eligible to join a playoff roster now. Still, we’re gonna need Goodwin in the playoffs and it’s hard to see us letting he and Hayes slip away this summer. Retaining at least one of them should be a top priority for the team and, if LeBron chooses to play next season, I could see him offering to take a very, very slight pay cut to get that done (he offered as much this season but not much came of it). Goodwin is the guard version of Vando, maybe a little less “dawg” in him as Vando is quick to step up for his teammates (he also is signed here for the next 3 seasons so he feels safe, as well). Goodwin is scrappy, energetic and an excellent defender. He’s making his shots right now which is gravy on this team and has allowed us to better withstand these late season injuries. Needs to be on the playoff roster, no other way to put it.
  4. Dorian Finney-Smith. I don’t say enough about this dude and it’s high time that changed. When DFS is out, the defense takes a huge step backwards. When DFS is hitting his shots, the offense becomes even more un-guardable. He, along with Goodwin, Vando and Vincent, is one of our best defenders and is excellent at calling out coverages and screens. He’s strong, long and fast. lakers Fans have heard of these fabled “three and D” players but DFS is the first one to truly fit the bill and earn the name in purple and gold other than Hachimura.
  5. Home cooking. The Lakers need to keep pushing and try and get the best possible home court advantage. They play really well at Crypto this season (27-7), they shoot more free throws at home (24.5 vs. 21.8 on the road) and who doesn’t like downtown LA to be rocking after a win? In an odd twist to this logic, Luka shoots better on the road than at home (47.6% on the road vs. 41% at home) but I stand by my assertion. The rest of the Lakers play better and we need those FTA’s. The team, overall, has a pretty mild discrepancy between home and road FG% splits (48.5% at home vs. 47.1% on the road). Free throws will matter.

5 Things: Lakers Win

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Any win is a good win, sure the Suns are imploding and going full super nova but the Lakers will take any W they can get while the squad gets healthy. We got to about 85% strength with the return of DFS, Hayes, and Luka and we needed all three to play well and come up clutch against one of the more surprising plotlines this season. The black hole that is the Phoenix Suns

  1. Luka. In a word: amazing. Like LeBron, Kobe and Magic before him, he will make some turnovers that are…shall we say avoidable. He will complain a bit much and we’ll see what his conditioning is like next season. It’s all worth it. The dude does legendary things nightly and he makes them look simple. Started hot, finished kind of cold, he was superb at luring the Phoenix defenders into fouling him on his jump shots and drives. Finishing 2 dimes shy of a triple-double it’s easier and easier to accept that Luka is a Laker.
  2. Dorian Finney-Smith. Dude is solid as a rock and you can see why Luka enjoys playing with him. His defense is on point and he makes the right play just about every time. DFS, Rui, Vincent and Vando are the quartet of defenders/role-players that have the potential to make this Lakers team something really special. Between these 4 we have a multi-headed hydra of defenders that can switch, recover and rebound with tenacity. Of them all DFS is probably the most essential followed closely by Gabe and Rui. That 3 he hit late to stymie the last Phoenix gasp was clutch because, up to that shot, he was only 1-5 from three and was obviously searching for a groove on offense.
  3. Hayes expanding his game. I like when a player bucks trends. It’s one reason I really dig Vanderbilt, there’s not really one thing about his game that screams “modern NBA!” Jaxson Hayes has, at times, been slotted below project players like Christian Koloko on the Lakers depth chart. Last season he came on strong late and then seemed to regress over the summer and came out tentative. Maybe it’s the space Luka helps create, especially when he shares the floor with Reaves and/or LeBron, but Jaxson Hayes suddenly has an acre of space to operate in. He took his man off the dribble…from the three point line…and dunked on him. He’s finding the seams for easy lobs and he keeps flirting with the 20 point barrier. While not the bruising center Coach Reddick pined for early on, the fit with this team is becoming undeniable as Hayes finds ways to leverage his superior speed and hops against more plodding defenders. In the NBA speed kills and is harder than any other physical trait to stop. Footwork and IQ can overcome both speed and strength but, for now, the opposition is having a difficult time containing Hayes. Playoffs will be another beast but this version of Jax is lethal in the regular season.
  4. Reaves is becoming Mr. Dependable. Good for 20 and 9, every time. Toss in some boards, some defense and you’ve got the combo guard of the future, folks. reaves “do-it-all” tool box has been on full display for most of the season and were it not for resurgent Detroit Pistons thanks to Cade Cunningham, Austin Reaves would be the clear favorite for Most Improved Player. As it is, if the lakers can crack the top 3, maybe 4 in the west, he still has an outside shot at it. Reaves getting to the line a little more consistently would be nice but that’s on the refs as much as on him as he certainly is attacking the basket.
  5. Help is on the way. Sounds like Rui could be available before the end of the week and LeBron not far behind. Welcome news to Lakers fans!

Lakers Trusting Luka & Betting On Playoff Health Over Playoff Seeding

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Despite losing LeBron James for what could be weeks, the Los Angeles Lakers are confident Luka Doncic can carry the team until he returns and believe playoff health, not seeding, is the key to win the championship.

The Lakers’ source of that confidence was the 24-game stretch starting January 15th when they won 20 out of 24 games with their new trapping, rotating, and swarming team defense ranked #1 in the entire league.
While Rob Pelinka was pulling off the blockbuster trade for Luka Doncic, Lakers’ rookie head coach JJ Redick was transforming his team from a middle-of-the-pack defensive team to the #1 defense in the entire NBA.

The Lakers firmly believe that health is the only thing that can prevent them from winning the NBA championship this season. If they go into the playoffs healthy, they believe to a man they can win the championship.
The next few weeks will be a major test for head coach JJ Redick and the Lakers’ backcourt of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. They will need to elevate their play to another level to give LeBron James maximum rest.

Choosing to optimize playoff health over seeding could be a risky gamble that could easily result in the Lakers being forced to meet the Nuggets in the second round with Denver boasting their usual home court advantage.
Keeping LeBron out for 3 or 4 weeks instead of 1 or 2 weeks to enable him to be 100% for the playoffs could also backfire, with the Lakers sliding down the standings out of the top-6 and into the Play-In Tournament.

Let’s take a look at when the Lakers’ key injured players are projected to return, the team’s immediate and remaining schedules, and the chances that betting on playoff health over seeding will be the smartest strategy.

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When Are The Lakers Injured Players Projected To Return?

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Last night against the Brooklyn Nets, the Lakers were missing four key rotation players, including starters LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Jaxson Hayes and team plus/minus leader off bench Dorian Finney-Smith.

We saw how tough it was to beat even a tanking team like the Brooklyn Nets when missing four of your top six players, especially when the two players who played — Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves — did not have great games. While James is a couple of weeks and Hachimura at least a week at best from returning, the good news is the Lakers should get Finney-Smith back for Thursday’s game against the Bucks and Hayes hopefully soon after.

Frankly, the even bigger question for the Lakers is when will they get the real Luka Doncic and the real Austin Reaves back from injury as both of their two backcourt stars are still struggling to get back to their form.
Over the last two games, Luka Doncic has averaged 28.0/10.0/7.5 while shooting 39.6%/40.0%/83.3% with a -8 +/- while Austin Reaves averaged 16.5/5.5/6.0 while shooting 30.8%/41.7%/92/3% with a team-worst -11 +/-.

Right now, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are not generating anywhere near what they normally produce and there are still signs that neither is 100% recovered from their injuries, which continues to be concerning.
While the Lakers when healthy have a deep and diverse roster, they’re going to need help from the basketball gods to remain healthy throughout the playoffs if they are to have any chance of all of winning another ring.

If the Lakers get Hayes and Finney-Smith back and a better Doncic and Reaves the next 6 games, they should have enough depth and diversity to regroup and get back to playing like they did during their 20-4 stretch.

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Lakers Must Somehow Survive Three Straight Back-To-Backs

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The Lakers’ immediate problem is how to survive the crazy 6-game stretch from the schedule makers with 3 straight back-to-backs with 1 day off. That’s 6 games in 8 days for a team missing 4 of their op 6 players last game.

Hopefully, the Lakers can stop their 2-game slide with a win tomorrow night in Milwaukee against the Bucks, who’ve now lost 3 straight games. The 36–28 Bucks are now tied with the Pacers for 4th seed in the East.
The Lakers play the Bucks tomorrow night in Milwaukee in the first half of a back-to-back and then again a week later at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles in the second game of their third back-to-back in over 8 days.

While the Bucks are a formidable opponent, the big challenge for the Lakers will come against their nemesis Denver Nuggets. whom they will play Friday night in Denver and then again on March 19 in Los Angeles.
At best, the Lakers need to sweep the 2-game home-and-away series with both the Bucks and Nuggets. At worst, they need to at least split the two series with Milwaukee and Denver to survive the triple back-to-backs.

Besides the home-and-away series with the Bucks and Nuggets, the Lakers will also play the Suns and Spurs in a back-to-back, two teams that the Lakers should be able to beat although nothing is guaranteed in the NBA.
What the Lakers cannot do against the Suns and Spurs at this point of the season is to lose a winnable game. The rest of the Lakers season has to be Luka and Austin getting healthy and getting their games back together.

The Lakers will need to play like they did when they won 20 of 24 games in order to survive three straight back-to-backs over 8 days. If they get Jax and DFS back and the real Luka and Austin, they should survive this stretch.

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Lakers Must Somehow Hold Onto Top-6 Seed In The West

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Right now, the 40–23 Lakers have lost 2 straight games and are tied with the Nuggets for #2 in the West with 23 losses, 1 loss ahead of the #4 Grizzlies, 2 losses ahead of the #5 Rockets, and 5 losses ahead of the #6 Warriors.

L.A. has 19 games left in the regular season and faces the 4th toughest schedule per Tankathon.com while the Nuggets face 11th, the Grizzlies the 6th, the Rockets the 17th, and the Warriors 13th toughest schedule left.
Comparatively, the Lakers (8–2) and Warriors (9–1) have been the hottest of the five teams trailing the Thunder in the West with the Nuggets (6–4), Rockets (6–4), and Grizzlies (5–5) playing close to .500 over last 10 games.

Considering how competitive the Western Conference is, the Lakers should be able to survive the three straight back-to-backs with at least a 4–2 record if not better. That should be enough to safely keep them as a top-6 seed.
Once the Lakers get past the looming three back-to-backs, they should get Rui back as well as DFS, which would restore their starting lineup and 10-man rotation. L.A.’s goal is to be 100% healthy heading into the playoffs.

After the 6 games of back-to-backs, the Lakers remaining 13 games are still challenging, with 5 games vs. competitors: two games against the West leading Thunder, 2 games against the Rockets, and 1 against the Grizzlies.
The Lakers objective during these remaining games will be to dominate their West playoff competitors, especially the Oklahoma City Thunder, and change the narrative heading into the playoffs with the Lakers as favorites.

The Lakers should be able to allow LeBron James to rest for 3 or 4 weeks and still be able to win enough games to finish with a guaranteed top-6 playoff spot in the Wester Conference as a favorite to win #18.

How Are Lakers With Luka Better Defensively Than Lakers With AD?

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JJ Redick and his coaching staff have the entire NBA totally befuddled as the Los Angeles Lakers have now officially been the #1 ranked NBA defense for over 2 months, despite having traded Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic.

The pundits are throwing up their hands in frustration, unable to explain how rookie head coach JJ Redick has transformed the Lakers with Luka into a better defensive team than the same Lakers with Anthony Davis. Yet that’s exactly what the eye test and the advanced analytics are telling us. Somehow, someway, JJ Redick has the Lakers with Luka playing the best defense in the NBA, despite replacing Anthony Davis with Jaxson Hayes.

The expectation after the Lakers rescinded the Mark Williams trade was that their failure to replace Anthony Davis at starting center would likely be a fatal blow for any realistic Lakers’ championship hopes for this season.
But the Lakers’ defensive transformation had already begun. The Lakers had traded for Finney-Smith, gotten Vanderbilt and Vincent back from injury, and added 2-way defenders Goodwin and Jemison to the rotation.

While the doubters and non-believers continued to claim the Lakers defense was mostly luck driven smoke-and-mirrors that would be exposed in the playoffs, the Lakers’ simply continued to shut down more teams.
Since earning the #1 defensive rating in early January, the Lakers have gone 20–6 and now are in sole possession of the #2 seed in the West, which guarantees L.A. home court advantage right up to the conference finals.

So let’s take a deep dive into how rookie head coach JJ Redick and his coaching staff were able to transform the Lakers with Luka Doncic not only into the #1 defense in the NBA but into a better defense than with AD.

Redick’s New Trapping/Rotating/Swarming Team Defense

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While Pelinka was busy closing the Luka trade, JJ Redick was rebuilding the Lakers’ half-court defense with a goal of being proactive rather than reactive and countering teams who switch hunt their weaker defenders.

The new defensive strategy Redick and his veteran coaching staff designed for the Lakers was a reversal from the passive drop coverage, switch everything 1–4 defense that the Lakers had started the season running.
Rather then depend on individual defensive skills, Reddick opted for a team-driven defensive system that could take better advantage of his team’s elite size and length, speed and quickness, basketball savvy and smarts.

Now, when teams try to isolate their best scorers against our weakest defenders, the Lakers attack and hedge, ice, trap, and double the shooters and force them to rotate against heavy pressure and swarms of defenders.
This is where the Lakers’ defensive size and length, speed and quickness, and smarts and savvy as a team comes into play, forcing opposing ball handlers into chaotic rotations that lead to turnovers and fast break points.

Ironically, the Lakers had already been in the process of transforming their offense to better complement their desire to push the pace in transition before they even started discussions with the Mavs about Luke Doncic.
JJ Redick knew that the Lakers needed to find a way to protect Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic from being relentlessly switch hunted defensively if they were going to be able to be part of an NBA championship backcourt.

So far, the Lakers new half-court defensive strategy has been a major success. It’s given the Lakers a clear blueprint for shutting down other teams’ stars while also protecting their stars from switch hunting.

Lakers Add 6-Pack Of New Defenders to 10-Man Rotation

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Playing an aggressive trapping, rotating, and swarming team defense rather than the usual drop coverage NBA style of defense is a better fit for the Lakers’ current roster and the fast-paced offense they want to run.

Rather than loading up with traditional big-bodied space-eating centers, the Lakers opted to focus on building a roster deep in big, long, fast, quick, smart, athletic, and physical guards and wings who consistently play hard.
The Finney-Smith trade, Vanderbilt and Vincent injury return, Goodwin and Jemison signings, and James re-invention as a 3&D wing have given L.A. a six-pack of defensive guards and wings to run their new defense.

Besides upgrading the Lakers’ defense with 5 new plus defenders and re-purposing James, Redick also is getting better defensive effort from current players like Hayes, Hachimura, Reaves, Knecht, and new addition Doncic.
The Los Angeles Lakers have played 15 games since the Anthony Davis injury and trade. They have won 13 of those games with 118.9 offensive rating (#6), a 107.0 defensive rating (#1), and a +11.9 net rating (#3).

Jaxson Hayes especially exceeded the Lakers’ expectations. In 18 games started, Jax averaged 7.9 points, 6.1 boards, 1.3 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 0.7 steals in 23.7 minutes per game with the 11th best center defensive rating.
During that 15 game stretch, Hayes proved he’s a legitimate NBA starting center, posting an impressive 116.2 offensive rating (#12), elite 102.1 defensive rating (#1 among all centers), and great +14.1 net rating (#5).

The DFS trade, Vando/Vincent return, Jemison/Goodwin signings, James re-invention as elite defensive wing, and better defense from Jax, Luka, and the rest of the roster has transformed the Lakers into a defense-first team.

LeBron James Replaces AD as Lakers’ Director of Defense

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What makes the Luka trade uniquely special for the Lakers is LeBron James’ confidence in Luka Doncic running the team’s offense frees him up to replace Anthony Davis as the team’s top defender and defensive anchor.

With Luka taking over as the team’s starting point guard, LeBron and the Lakers have the rare luxury of being able to repurpose his great talents to playing off the ball on offense and and directing the team’s new defense.
James has essentially reinvented himself on offense as a lethal off-the-ball threat as a cutter and 3-point shooter and on defense as an elite big wing defender with the basketball smarts and skills to make L.A.’s defense hum.

Besides giving the Lakers a desperately needed All-NBA quality lock-down wing defender to help make their defense work, LeBron has also taken over Anthony Davis’ role as the team’s defensive anchor and Director of Defense.
While Davis was the rim protector on defense who had every player’s back, James has become the anchor of the defense, the captain who makes the defensive play calls and ensures everybody is making the right rotations.

The first true test of the Los Angeles Lakers new trapping, rotating, and swarming defense has been the 15 games since AD’s injury and trade, where the team went 13–2 and posted an NBA best 107.0 defensive rating.
Besides replacing AD as the defensive captain, LeBron completely reversed his own performance on defense, lowering his personal defensive rating to an elite 104.5 for the 15-game stretch versus a poor 115.4 before then.

In the end, LeBron James taking over for Anthony Davis as Director of Defense is the one of the major reasons why the Lakers with Luka are now a far better defensive team than the Lakers with Anthony Davis were.

Will Lakers New Defense Be Sustainable In Playoffs?

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The Lakers new trapping, rotating, and swarming team attack defense is specifically designed for the playoffs, when the games slow down, defenses go switch hunting, and matchups determine who wins games and series.

The last thing JJ Redick is going to allow is for teams to relentlessly switch hunt Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic on offense to exploit their defensive weakness, score easy baskets, and hopefully adversely affect their offense.
That’s a big reason why the Lakers’ new defense is going to hedge, ice, trap, and double any opposing ball handler who tries to switch hunt any of their weaker defenders. They’re not going to leave their defenders on an island.

Strategically, the Lakers want a defense that both protect their weaker defenders from being hunted and create chaos, turnovers, and transition basketball, where the Luka and LeBron offensive juggernaut can shine.
What the NBA is seeing from the Lakers since the AD injury and trade is a defensive transformation that has opposing coaches bamboozled because the Lakers with Luka are clearly better than the Lakers with AD were.

Realistically, it’s getting harder and harder for the doubters and naysayers to deny that the Lakers have somehow become one of the league’s top defensive teams despite having traded Anthony Davis for Luke Doncic.
What’s now starting to happen is teams are starting to copy the Lakers defensive strategies and tactics. Every team that’s played the Nuggets since the Lakers dominated them is has copied how L.A. defended Jokic.

The playoffs come down to execution. Look for the Lakers’ new trapping, rotating, and swarming defensive strategy, new six-pack of elite defenders, and new Director of Defense in LeBron to be dominant in the playoffs.

Lakers Transforming LeBron James Into Ultimate Master-Of-All-Trades

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Trading for 25-year old Luka Doncic opened up an unexpected and unique treasure chest of opportunities for the Los Angeles Lakers to transform 40-year old superstar LeBron James into their ultimate Master-of-All-Trades.

After a 6-year partnership with Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers’ sudden midseason switch of superstars has dramatically changed not only the fortunes of the Los Angeles Lakers but also the NBA’s next decade. With Doncic taking over as the Lakers primary shot and playmaker, James is suddenly free to take on a multiverse of different roles moving forward. The 40-year old LeBron is now the Lakers’ ultimate Master-Of-All-Trades.

If the Lakers need an elite point guard when Luka rests, a bruising small ball center when Jax is on the bench, a red-hot C&S 3-point shooter, or a lockdown POA defensive wing, LeBron James can be whatever they need.
Since trading for Luka, LeBron’s been all of the above, playing off the ball as a cutter and shooter, showing he can play without and with Luka, and taking on Davis’ role as the leader and director of the Lakers’ elite defense.

Over the last month, despite all the changes, the Luka and LeBron Lakers have been on a tear, winning 18 of their last 22 games and jumping over a half dozen teams to secure the West’s #2 seed heading down the stretch.
Most impressively, James’ newfound defensive focus has been at the heart of JJ Redick’s transformation of the Lakers’ defense from a middle-of-the-pack to #1 in the NBA despite trading Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic.

Let’s take a closer look into the post-trade Los Angeles Lakers and how LeBron passed the torch to Luka, the multiverse of roles open for James, and how he has a unique opportunity to become a Master-Of-All-Trades.

LeBron Finally Passes The Torch But Not to Anthony Davis

LUKA DONCIC IS EVERYWHERE FOR THE LAKERS

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It took 40-year old LeBron James 6 years to finally pass the torch as the face of the Lakers to another superstar but not Anthony Davis. While James tried, he was unable to pass that torch until the Lakers traded for Doncic.

That should tell you everything you need to know about the LeBron James and Anthony Davis era. One championship won but the torch never left LeBron James hand. We’ll never know if it would have happened this year.
But with Luka, LeBron never hesitated. From the moment he found out the Lakers traded for Luka, there’s no question he’d pass the torch immediately because he knew that would be the only way to insure Luka would succeed.

No disrespect to Anthony Davis, but it is much easier for LeBron James to pass the torch to a player like Luka Doncic who’s essentially a physical clone of him who plays his same position with his same sets of skills.
LeBron was also only 34-years old when the Lakers traded for AD whereas he was 40-years old when they traded for Luka. Timing and circumstances make it far easier for LeBron to pass the torch to Luka than to Anthony.

Luka was the basketball gods’ gift to the Lakers but only if they allowed him to be himself, which means taking the ball out of James’ hands and putting it in Doncic’ hands, something LeBron would likely only do for Luka.
What makes the Luka trade such a perfect trade for the Lakers is that it not only gives the Lakers a 15-year younger and maybe better version of LeBron but it also frees James to become their Master-Of-All-Trades.

That’s the unexpected silver lining hidden behind the Luka Doncic trade. Luka was the one player whom LeBron would eagerly and willing pass the torch and reinvent himself as the Lakers’ Master-Of-All-Trades.

Passing The Torch Opens LeBron To Multiverse of Roles

LEBRON JAMES CAN PLAY & DEFEND ALL 5 POSITIONS

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There is no question in my mind that there are worlds in the multiverse where LeBron James not only gets the opportunities to play but actually excels as the GOAT for all five of the positions in the game of basketball.

With the trade for Luka Doncic, die-hard Lakers fans are going to get a special treat for the next who-knows-how-many seasons, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see what all those different LeBron James look like. Before the Lakers hang the banner for #18 this summer, we’re going to see LeBron James playing a multiverse of different roles in different games. He’ll be whatever Lakers need: scorer, defender, playmaker, rebounder.

The Lakers have been trying in vain for last six years to get LeBron to play off the ball in order to reduce the regular season wear-and-tear and extend his career. Trading for Luka could easily mean more years of LeBron.
Being paired with Luka Doncic has also re-invigorated LeBron and given him new motivation not only for this season but also for the rest of his career. LeBron can now pick and chose how to help the Lakers win.

We’ve seen this new burst of youth and energy in how LeBron has been playing defense. No longer having to play on the ball on offense, James is now using that energy and physicality as the Lakers big new 3&D wing.
When Luka’s shot was off against the Clipper in their recent first of two games, LeBron took over in the fourth quarter and closed the game like he has done so many times in his illustrious 22-year long superstar career.

With Luka taking over the Lakers’ offense, LeBron James is now free to become the ultimate Master-Of-All-Trades, the superstar wild card JJ Redick will be able to play whenever needed in the 2025 NBA playoffs.

Free & Unleashed LeBron James Is Lakers’ Playoff Wild Card

LEBRON JAMES IS LAKERS PERFECT PLAYOFF SWISS ARMY KNIFE

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The ultimate irony of the Lakers trading for Luka Doncic is that it will not only likely lengthen LeBron James purple and gold career but also could free and unleash LeBron James to be the Lakers’ playoff gold wild card.

Aside from the fact that both James and Doncic are among that rare group of players with unassailable records of elevating their play in the playoffs, imagine the problem Luka and LeBron are going to create in the playoffs.
Teams are not only going to deal with the league’s best two playmakers sharing the court together to start and end every game but also face the challenge of either Luka or LeBron on court every minute of every game.

Having turned the ball and offense over to Luka, LeBron is now free to do whatever JJ Redick and his staff need him to do. In the playoffs, having a free and unleashed superstar to fill a multiverse of needed roles is ideal.
22-years of championship level experience playing all five positions at all three levels of the court plus his unmatched basketball IQ make LeBron James uniquely qualified to be the Lakers’ ultimate Master-Of-All-Trades.

Whether the Lakers need a superstar point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, or center, whether they need more offense or defense, Luka has freed LeBron to be their playoff Swiss Army knife.
LeBron James’ superstar ability to morph into whatever the Lakers need to win in a given playoff series could be the difference maker that catapults Los Angeles into a tie with Boston as they win their 18th championship.

The NBA Playoffs are about matchups and a free, unleashed LeBron James is the Lakers solid gold playoffs wild card. Look for the Lakers to win their 18th NBA championship and LeBron James to win his fifth Finals MVP.