Almost every single player in the world wants to play with LeBron James right now, as playing next to him means you have a huge shot at, at least, making it to the NBA Finals on a yearly basis.
Now that he’s moved to the Los Angeles Lakers, he’s about to be surrounded by some guys that are interesting fits (to say the least) next to him, and they got us all wondering how’s that going to work out.
But, why don’t we go a bit further and take a look at some other superstars and how’d they fare playing next to the Kings? As we all know Magic Johnson isn’t going to stop and is determined to get more firepower next to him?. Today, we’re going to talk about 10 stars and how much they’d fit next to James.
10. Ben Simmons: 5/10
Ben Simmons is a hell of a player, but truth to be told, he wouldn’t be much of a good fit next to LeBron James. They’re both very similar player, physically and in the way they play the game. Both are very ball-dominant players, and Simmons isn’t a jump shooter, so that’d be a huge spacing issue.
9. Russell Westbrook: 5.5/10
Russell Westbrook is a huge competitor, just like LeBron James, and both being athletic freaks, they’d definitely dominate with their drives. Nonetheless, considering how careless Westbrook is with the rock on his hands and the fact that he’s eager to be any team’s go-to-guy, he’d probably not get along with LeBron.
8. Giannis Antetokounmpo: 6/10
Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the league’s most exciting prospects for sure. He’s getting better by the year and any player in the world would love to play with a guy with such a high work ethic. Nonetheless, the fact that he’s yet to develop a jump shot, makes him an odd fit next to LeBron. They’d be good together, for sure, but not great.
7. Joel Embiid: 7/10
Joel Embiid would be a very nice fit next to LeBron James, basketball-wise at least. He’s a great defender, can space the floor, is a huge competitor determined to win, can score off the pick and roll and do a little bit of everything. Nonetheless, his careless personality and his constant jokes could create an odd dynamic between the two of them, so chemistry may be an issue.
6. James Harden: 8/10
James Harden is quite a ball-dominant player and that would make it difficult for him to fit next to LeBron James. Even though he’s the kind of shooter that would thrive playing next to the King as an off-ball scorer, not to mention he’s an outstanding pick and roll player and he’d be great throwing lobs to the King as Wade used to do.
5. Damian Lillard: 9/10
Damian Lillard has already proven that he can share touches with another ball-dominant player as CJ McCollum, not to mention the fact that he’s a great cutter and off-ball player. He’s a solid shooter, especially from three-point land, so he’d be a perfect fit next to James with LeBron running the point for most of the game. His defense (or lack of), could make James mad, though.
4. Klay Thompson: 9.3/10
Klay Thompson would simply be a perfect fit next to LeBron James. He’s the kind of volume scorer that could consistently knock down shots from three and that would have hundreds of wide open looks from James’ drives. Also, he’s one of the best backcourt defenders in the league, arguably the best James would play next to besides Dwyane Wade.
3. Stephen Curry: 9.5/10
Stephen Curry is the most coachable player in the league, so he’d be a perfect fit even playing next to you and me, so, why wouldn’t he be great playing with LeBron? Both have elite basketball IQ, can read through screens and switches, and can really make an offense flow through ball-movement. Also, he’s the best shooter in the league, and James thrives next to sharpshooters.
2. Anthony Davis: 10/10
Anthony Davis is another kind of talent everybody in the world would love to play with, and truth to be told, he looks like the kind of Golden State Warriors’ kryptonite LeBron has desperately craved for years now. He’s a top-notch rim protector, an outstanding pick and roll scorer, and even a nice shooter that could stretch the floor.
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1. Kevin Durant: 10/10
And the guy who’d fit better next to LeBron has to be Kevin Durant. Hopefully, this never happens, or they’d have to shut down the league for sure. KD has grown to become a versatile defender that can guard 1 through 5, he can pull up, run the point, get stops, do a little bit of everything. Moreover, he’s not a ball-dominant player, so James could just feed him knowing that he’d be more than ready to pull the trigger.
