LeBron James put the Los Angeles Lakers on his back once again as the squad headed over to Dallas to face the Mavericks in a Christmas Day clash. This was the third time LeBron has played the Mavericks on Christmas, with the last game coming 2 years ago. The Lakers won that game comfortably, but Luka Doncic came right back at LeBron tonight.
Despite an efficient 38-point night from LBJ, the Mavericks decimated the Lakers after outscoring them by 30 points in the 3rd quarter. The Lakers had a 17-point lead that got obliterated by the Mavs getting hot and converting almost every shot in a quarter where they scored 51 points to the Lakers’ 21.
James lamented the absence of Anthony Davis after the game, with AD ruled out indefinitely with a recent foot injury.
LeBron on the roster challenges without AD: "We lose a lot of length which we dont have already. We have to make it up in ways that are very difficult and very challenging. … I think we had a lineup at one point where AR (Austin Reaves) was the tallest guy on the court."
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) December 25, 2022
“Reality is, without AD, we lose a lot of length, which we don’t have already,” James said. “So we have to make up in ways that, without AD, is very difficult, very challenging. So, I think at one point we had a lineup of I think [Austin Reaves] was the tallest guy on the court. So, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out [that Davis is sorely missed].” (h/t ABC.com)
To be frank, the Lakers don’t stand a chance without AD in the lineup. This is arguably the worst supporting cast in the league. There’s no point in even making a big trade because the Lakers won’t be competitive enough to beat the top teams in the West, especially in a playoff setting.
What Do The Lakers Want From Their Season?
The playoff dream looks increasingly unlikely with AD missing as much time as he will. LeBron is turning 38 in a few days and we’ve never seen anyone produce at this level at this age. He has had 30+ point games on 50% shooting or better for 7 consecutive games, barrelling towards the all-time scoring record.
The Lakers will celebrate LeBron for breaking that record whenever he does. Depending on the win/loss record for the Lakers, they could just shut LeBron down and hope to rebuild with draft assets and cap space in the summer to be competitive in the 2023-24 season. Mismanagement has cost them this season as well, with fans now even wondering if they should trade LeBron away so that the team can get assets and LBJ can play the twilight of his career on a contending team.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
