SUMMARY
- LeBron James and the Lakers could face another playoff sweep against the Nuggets being down 0-3.
- James has been consistent throughout the season, while the Lakers haven't built chemistry this season.
LeBron James is on the brink of facing another huge upset against the Denver Nuggets. It is already evident how much The King has put on the line for the Los Angeles Lakers this season, especially in terms of his physical health. James suffered through various injuries but one ailment in particular had him miss multiple games. He was diagnosed with peroneal tendinopathy and chances are it still hasn’t fully healed.
LeBron James: “It’s one game at a time at this point… As long as you still have life, then you always have belief, you play until the wheels fall off. That’s what it’s always about for me as a mindset” pic.twitter.com/AhN6Crj8d9
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) April 26, 2024
The Lakers had to face the Play-In Tournament, which he ever so often expressed his dislike towards it. Luckily, LA managed to swat a victory away from the New Orleans Pelicans to enter into the first round. But, it meant they had to face the Nuggets once again, a team that swept them in the playoffs last season. The pressure is certainly at a peak since the Lakers are currently down 0-3. But what does another clean sweep mean for James’ legacy?
The Lakers have been struggling despite LeBron James’ winning efforts
From the start of the season, Darvin Ham made a huge mistake by not sticking to one lineup. This is was impacted the Lakers’ ability to stay consistent in terms of winning games. After the All-Star break, Ham made Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, and Rui Hachimura regular starters alongside the duo. They managed to win 17 games while losing nine in the mix.
Despite having figured out a solution to their disastrous lineup, it was consistency that the Lakers starters lacked in providing. While Russell produced better numbers during the second half of the season, he failed to maintain them. He would alternate between dominant and lackluster performances, and so did Hachimura.
However, LeBron James isn’t to be blamed for their terrible run this season that’s bled into the playoffs. There’s much they can force on James who already averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game as a 39-year-old. Allowing him to bear the weight of the team would’ve only made him perform poorly in the post-season due to fatigue.
LeBron James’ personal achievement will remain intact
Putting LeBron James under load management was probably the better option for the Lakers. This is why he’s been able to average 26.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 9.7 assists along with 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. Now, James has done enough to cement his name besides Michael Jordan’s as the GOAT. The individual stats are equally or more impressive than what Jordan put up. However, if the Lakers get swept by the Nuggets again, the critics may claim that James’ playoff history is what pulls away from dethroning Jordan.
Towards the final stages of his career and during his final season with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan was also putting up between 28 to 31 points per game. However, Jordan wasn’t as old as James in that scenario. During the Big 3’s final championship run, MJ averaged 32.4 points per game while being surrounded by a declining supporting cast. Scottie Pippen went from averaging 19.2 points during the 1997 post-season to 16.8 points per game the following year.
Dennis Rodman focused on his defensive duties while no other player averaged over 15 points per game. However, the older Bulls stars were still consistent, which helped Phil Jackson and Jordan fill in the gaps. On the other hand, besides LeBron James and Anthony Davis, other players haven’t shown consistency nor do half of them produce numbers at all. James cannot be blamed for what happened, nor should his legacy be tarnished.