LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are in the spotlight once again, and not just because of LeBron’s legendary status. The Lakers have been on a roll, winning their last three games without James, including victories over formidable opponents like the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves. This recent success has sparked conversations about the team's dynamics when LeBron isn't on the court.
This season, the Lakers have managed to win 66% of their games without James, boasting a 14-7 record. If you stretch that win rate across an entire season, you're looking at a 56-win pace, which is impressive by any standard.
In contrast, with James in action, the Lakers are 26-18, translating to a 49-win pace. Interestingly, for the second consecutive year, the Lakers have a negative swing rating with James on the floor, being outscored by 2.0 points per 100 possessions.
Last season, this figure was even more pronounced at 5.3 points.
Diving into the lineup data reveals some intriguing insights. The current Lakers lineup featuring James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton, and Rui Hachimura holds the unfortunate distinction of being the least effective James-led lineup since 2007-08.
This group has a -3.9 plus/minus, marking it as the worst James-featured lineup in 19 years. To put this in perspective, the previous record-holder was a lineup from James' early Cleveland days, which had a -2.8 plus/minus.
When you consider the overall plus/minus, this current Lakers lineup has the worst record of James' career at -47. The second-worst lineup was also from his Cleveland days, featuring Mo Williams and Shaquille O'Neal, which had a -43 plus/minus over 385 minutes.
What does all this mean for the Lakers and LeBron? The numbers suggest that the current roster might be struggling with too many ball-handlers.
Sharing the court with talents like Doncic and Reaves means there's a lot of competition for control of the ball. This is a stark contrast to previous stages of James' career, where he either had less support or more complementary players like Dwyane Wade or Kyrie Irving.
There’s also the reality of LeBron’s age to consider. At 41, with an NBA-record 60,497 minutes played, it’s natural to see some decline.
His current BPM and WS/48 are among the lowest of his career. Yet, if there’s one thing we know about LeBron, it’s that he’s full of surprises.
Once he returns from injury, there’s every chance he could adjust his playstyle, improve his shooting, and elevate the team’s performance.
For now, the Lakers' success without James raises questions about fit and dynamics, but it’s far too early to count out the King.