The LeBron James Problem in LA
The Los Angeles Lakers had the opportunity to acquire DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry and keep Alex Caruso during the 2021 offseason. Or complete a trade for Buddy Hield from the Sacramento Kings.
Instead, the Lakers stunned the rest of the NBA, trading for Russell Westbrook as they sent Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Cardwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and a first-round pick to Washington as part of the deal. What caught many off-guard was that Kuzma and Cardwell-Pope were integral parts of the Lakers squad that won the NBA championship in 2020.
While some were excited about the potential of a Lakers Big Three consisting of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook, the trio never took off and made things happen for the Lakers.
A Failed Experiment
There’s no subtle way to describe how the Westbrook acquisition hurt the Lakers during the 2021-2022 season. Russell Westbrook didn’t click in LA. He never showed that same tenacity he once had in the previous years, and his treatment from Lakers fans when he pulled up from deep was an experience in and of itself.
In 78 regular-season games, Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 3.8 turnovers. He shot 44.4% from the field but only 29.8% from the three-point line.
While LeBron James finished as the third-leading scorer in the league with a 30.3-point per game average, the rest of the Western Conference was too much for a squad that had a misfiring Westbrook and an injured Davis.
The Lakers lost eight of their final ten regular-season games and finished with a 33-49 record. Not only did the Lakers fall out of the playoff picture. They also missed the play-in tournament altogether.
While it would be unfair to blame the Lakers’ struggles on Westbrook alone, it’s also unfair to pin them all on Frank Vogel, who ultimately bore much of the criticism, culminating in his firing at season’s end.
“GM LeBron” is to Blame
To most, the blame goes to LeBron James. After all, it’s no secret that the four-time MVP has a hand in the roster construction of teams he plays for.
The fact that the Lakers were already in deep talks with the Sacramento Kings about Buddy Hield before LeBron and Anthony Davis reportedly convinced their front office to trade for Westbrook shows us the kind of power LeBron has. What’s curious is that if LeBron James had this influence, why didn’t he use it to convince Alex Caruso to stay in LA?
It didn’t help LeBron James’ cause that he had a tendency to give up on defense and even walked away from games early, especially if the Lakers were down big in the final minutes.
What’s Next for the Lakers and LeBron?
After firing Frank Vogel as head coach, the Lakers are still searching for a replacement. Of course, there’s the Russell Westbrook question of whether or not he would stay. There’s also the question of whether or not Anthony Davis will ever be healthy enough to play a full 82 game season again.
But the biggest question the Lakers should ask themselves is: What to do with LeBron James?
Stephen A. Smith had an interesting solution: Trade LeBron James.
“I think the Los Angeles Lakers should strongly consider LeBron James. That is what I believe,”
The idea from. Smith isn’t new, but it’s far from simple to execute. As crazy as it sounds to consider trading one of the greatest players of all time, it’s something the Lakers should ponder, especially if they want to lay the foundation for sustained regular season and playoff success.
With the 37-year-old James entering the final year of his current contract, this offseason might be the time to recoup some assets for a depleted prospect and picks pool, as opposed to seeing him walk away for nothing once he hits free agency in the 2023 offseason.
Then again, don’t be surprised if LeBron makes it known he wants to stay in LA. After all, what’s Hollywood without a bit of drama?
-Iggy Gonzales
Twitter: @Godzilla500
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.