Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is in his unprecedented 23rd season in the league. Many never would have thought that James would still be playing at the high level, let alone still be in the league, but so far, he has defied all the odds.
James may not be one of the best players in the league at this point, but he is proving that he still has plenty left in the tank at the ripe age of 41. The 21-time All-Star missed the start of the season with sciatica on his right side. He returned in mid to late November and didn’t look like himself. Because of that, many gave him slack and called the four-time champion “old”, “slow”, and said that he was over the hill.
However, it seems that all he needed was time to get his feet under him. All things haven’t been pretty for the Lakers as of late, but James has looked more and more like himself.
In the last three games alone, James has been incredible, averaging 29 points per game, 8.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists while shooting 58.8 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from beyond the arc. So what's sparked this sudden turnaround from James - and why does he look so good all of a sudden?
Lakers head coach JJ Redick revealed his secret to keeping James effective after their win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.
"I think it's just recognizing game to game what he has," Redick said. "He's Greg Maddux at the end of his career. Every night he doesn't have his best stuff, but he has enough to win. And I'm his catcher. I have to figure out how to call the pitches. Sometimes he tells me to F-off and he calls his own pitch, which is fine, too.
"To me it's that - what's the best way to utilize him tonight based on the opponent, based on the coverage, based on how he's moving. We have conversations sometimes in games… It's really just that ongoing dialogue with him. To me, what he's doing at 41, what he did last year at 40, it's greatness, it's just a different form of greatness."
Through 18 games, James has been strong overall despite the occasional hiccup. He's averaging 21.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.0 steals per game while shooting an efficient 51.2 percent from the field in 33.3 minutes.
The way the Lakers are constructed, it is vital for James to be as fresh and effective as possible. LA has very little room for error. They are playing with fire, but when it works, the Lakers look like a great team that could compete with the top teams in the league.
Nonetheless, LA has bigger problems than keeping James effective. Roster upgrades are at the forefront, and time will tell whether Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka will provide James and Luka Doncic with the proper support to capture title No. 18 this season.
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