LeBron James’ agent, Rich Paul, appeared to take a shot at Luka Doncic on Wednesday during the latest episode of his podcast, Game Over. Paul’s co-host, Max Kellerman, suggested that the Los Angeles Lakers would have played better last year if James had asserted himself more and limited Doncic’s usage
“The team would’ve functioned better had Luka dribbled a little less, LeBron been playing point more. … I felt like (LeBron) needed to assert himself a little more,” Kellerman said.
Paul partly agreed.
“You’re not wrong, you’re 50% right in what you said in terms of, just psychologically,” he said. “But it’s for a different reason. He [James] was raised right from a basketball perspective. So when the coach asks you to do something, and play a certain way. He doesn’t know how to buck.”
Paul insinuated that James knew he wasn’t the third option, but was inclined to trust Lakers coach JJ Redick’s instincts to hand the reins to Doncic entirely and not run the offense through him. Doncic had a usage rate of 36.8%, while James was at 26.2%. James’ usage only spiked as Doncic and Austin Reaves struggled to stay healthy together, making him the first or second option on most nights.
James’ versatility allowed him to thrive in any role given to him, and that’s why the Lakers succeeded. Many still believe he should have had the ball more than Doncic in certain situations. However, Doncic was not used to playing off the ball and the star in his prime, so James agreed to a lesser role.
LeBron James Left Lakers Because He Knew He Wasn’t A Priority Anymore: Report
LeBron James and the Lakers broke up this offseason. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, James was aware he was no longer a priority, which led him to decide that his tenure at Los Angeles was over.
“After the season, sources close to James said the most important factor in him re-signing would be how the Lakers approached him,” Shelburne wrote in her report on Monday. “He might have been willing to take a pay cut from the $52.6 million he’d made the season before, sources said, if the Lakers explained how they planned to reallocate the money. They never did, and James never made himself available to meet. He had been a priority enough times in his career to know when he wasn’t one.”
Several reports, including Shelburne’s, have indicated that money isn’t a priority for James. The Lakers probably didn’t realise it and lost a key piece in him. Nevertheless, it would allow them to operate through Luka Doncic more freely.
Even after a pay cut, because of how good James still is, the Lakers would have run plays through him, plausibly creating issues for the coaching staff in navigating the chemistry between their stars.
Read more:
- LeBron James Receives Bold Recruiting Pitch From 76ers President Bob Myers
- James Harden, Cavaliers Involved In Opening Up M Exception To Sign LeBron James: Rumors
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