How LeBron's reduced role can help surging Lakers
Minutes before Luka Doncic's Los Angeles Lakers debut in February, LeBron James delivered a message to his fellow future Hall of Famer: "Don't fit in, fit the f--- out."
Nine months later, with Doncic having officially snatched the baton from James as the franchise's present and future, the 40-year-old superstar should consider his own advice as he returns from a bout with sciatica that forced him to miss the Lakers' first 14 games this season. Los Angeles needs James to fit in, to be a cog in the system instead of the system for perhaps the first time in his career.
The Lakers are 10-4 and the fourth seed in an uber-competitive Western Conference. But as last week's 121-92 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder illustrated, a monumental gap still exists between L.A. and the best in the West. James can help shrink it by playing a different role than he's accustomed to.
Despite online rage-baiting attempts to convince the masses that the Lakers are better without James, any player who averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds the season prior can only add to a hopeful contender.
When Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024, the team was built around the Slovenian's strengths and weaknesses. It had rim-running and rim-protecting centers, 3-and-D wings, and a secondary ball-handler who complemented Doncic. Let's see how Los Angeles compares.
Another playmaker alongside Doncic? Check. Austin Reaves is having a breakout season, developing impressive chemistry with the five-time All-Star while, at times, carrying the offensive load by himself. Doncic leads the NBA in scoring at 34.4 points per game, and Reaves chips in 28.3 points, making them the league's highest-scoring duo by far. Both players rank in the top eight in assists per game as well.
A reliable center? Check. For all of the criticism surrounding Deandre Ayton, the Lakers are getting what they bargained for with an efficient version of the 27-year-old. Ayton's averaging 16.2 points and 8.4 rebounds, posting a career-high true shooting percentage (69.3%), and attempting 53% of his shots at the rim, the highest rate of his career. He's also holding opponents to 55% shooting when he's protecting the rim, his best mark since 2020-21, when he went to the Finals with the Phoenix Suns' sixth-best defense.
A group of 3-and-D wings? Well, that's where James can contribute. It might seem asinine to label James a 3-and-D player, but that's the role he must fulfill as he adjusts to playing off the ball more.
Of course, James will still earn plenty of on-ball reps and playmaking opportunities. But the four-time MVP taking a back seat is as much about his inevitable decline due to age and health as it is Reaves' ascension to All-Stardom. Reaves is the most efficient pick-and-roll ball-handler in the NBA, scoring a league-leading 1.26 points per possession. By comparison, James averaged 0.86 points per possession in the same category last season. As crazy as it sounds, Reaves deserves more on-ball opportunities, with James being relegated to the third option.
The Lakers lead the league in pick-and-roll points and efficiency. They shouldn't touch what's working. However, Los Angeles does need help in spot-up situations, as it scores the sixth-fewest spot-up points per game. James' two highest-scoring seasons on spot-up plays came in two of the past three campaigns.
JJ Redick's squad drills the second-fewest threes in the NBA (10.9) and owns the seventh-worst 3-point percentage (33.8%). The final skill James fully developed in his storied journey was 3-point shooting. He shot 39.3% from deep over the last two seasons on more than five attempts per game.
Rui Hachimura, who's shooting 50% from three, is a tremendous stretch-four, but Jake LaRavia is shooting 33% from distance, and Marcus Smart is at 23%. They're better depth pieces than tertiary scoring options. James shot 41.6% on catch-and-shoot threes last year. The four-time champion can dominate off the catch, drilling triples and attacking closeouts as Doncic and Reaves facilitate.
For all the Hall of Fame players whom James has played with - Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Anthony Davis - Doncic is better than each of them. No one can create easier shots for James than him. He commands an unprecedented level of defensive attention and possesses uncanny court-mapping abilities. Doncic and Reaves' company is coming at the perfect time in James' career as lingering injuries prevail and he can no longer carry a team like he did for roughly two decades. James' basketball intelligence and experience allow him to excel in any role; the question is if he's willing.
Presumably, James' defense should improve if his offensive role and usage are reduced. He often experiences defensive lapses in which he's ball-watching or failing to box out. That's understandable when he's carrying the offensive load. But if James can stay locked in defensively, he can mask potential issues posed by a Doncic-Reaves backcourt.
Despite having the NBA's fifth-best record, the Lakers are 16th in net rating. They don't have a top-10 offense or defense. Los Angeles needs James to flourish in a hybrid off-ball and on-ball role and as an inclined defender. That might be asking too much in his 23rd season, but that will be the difference between a playoff appearance and a playoff run.
James' guidance to Doncic upon his L.A. arrival was the opposite of the message he directed toward Kevin Love in 2015 when he tweeted, "Stop trying to find a way to FIT-OUT and just FIT-IN." As James' uncertain future with the Lakers - and in the NBA - clouds over the season, he must fit in while Doncic fits out.
Sam Oshtry is a sports writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more basketball coverage.