It wasn’t too long ago that people were questioning whether LeBron James still had it. LeBron had a slow start to the 2022-23 NBA season as he dealt with some injury issues, but once he got healthy, he started dominating like he always did and quieted his doubters.
He has especially been on a tear since he turned 38 years old, averaging 34.9 PPG, 9.4 RPG, and 8.3 APG while shooting 52.5% from the field. The Los Angeles Lakers, though, don’t have a great record despite LeBron’s heroics this season and there has been a lot of talk about winning not being a priority for him as he is focusing just on passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the league’s all-time leading scorer. ESPN analysts Frank Isola and Brian Scalabrine defended James, with the latter also stating that the current version of LeBron is the best we have seen of him on the Lakers.
"This looks like the best Laker LeBron we've seen."@TheFrankIsola & @Scalabrine break down LeBron's level of engagement in LA as he chases Kareem's scoring record. pic.twitter.com/NGaN6AcQjt
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) January 22, 2023
Brian Scalabrine: “There’s no doubt that he does not look like a disconnected guy. Is he going for Kareem’s record? Yeah, of course. Who wouldn’t be right? But it’s not like he is just doing that, like he is playing good basketball. I want to say, this might seem crazy to you and I know you could use the bubble championship, but go look at his stats the year they won the championship. I think he averaged 25 a game that year, this looks like the best Laker LeBron we have seen.”
His scoring and rebounding averages are higher this season as compared to 2019-20 when they won it all, and he has also been more efficient from the field this season. Is this really the best version, though? Well, that is subjective, but you can perhaps make that argument.
JJ Redick Spoke On How LeBron James Can Enter The MVP Race
While LeBron has been putting on some great numbers, he really isn’t really in the picture when it comes to the MVP race. The team record is the biggest factor against LeBron, and JJ Redick believes that if the Lakers finish with a top 5 seed, then it isn’t outside the realm of possibility that James could win MVP.
The only way they get a top 5 seed is if Anthony Davis manages to stay healthy the rest of the way after he returns to action at the end of the month. Still, it is hard to see a scenario where LeBron wins the award, but it really speaks to his greatness that there are people out there who think that a man in his 20th season could win MVP.
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