LeBron James is one of the best superstars in the league today, still considered a top-5 player in the NBA despite him heading towards the end of his career. Though the Los Angeles Lakers did not end up making the playoffs last season, he had a fantastic individual year, averaging 30.3 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 6.2 APG.
Despite the fact that he is already a top-tier player, it seems as though LeBron James is still focused on getting better. A recent video of him surfaced on Twitter, with the star working on his 3PT jumper and midrange game.
Season 20 coming real soon 👑 @KingJames (via @Cbrickley603) pic.twitter.com/XKRcemfq61
— Overtime (@overtime) September 20, 2022
It is clear that James is focused on being the best version of himself for next season, and hopefully, we see the superstar have another elite year. Though he is no longer a force that can will any sort of roster to the playoffs, James is still clearly good enough to be the No. 1 option on a contending team.
The Los Angeles Lakers Have Made Some Big Moves This Summer
There is no doubt that last season was not successful for Lebron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, and the front office has done their best this summer to avoid a repeat of what happened.
They have moved towards a more defensive-oriented team this summer, notably moving Talen Horton-Tucker for Patrick Beverley in a deal with the Utah Jazz. They have also signed good defenders from the free agency pool, such as Juan Toscano-Anderson and Dennis Schroder.
Obviously, there is still a lack of 3PT shooting on the roster, and that may be a problem for the Los Angeles Lakers offense. However, it is quite likely that Darvin Ham is happy with the acquisitions that the Los Angeles Lakers made this summer, as he is a defensive-minded coach. Darvin Ham has already challenged Russell Westbrook to be better defensively, and it is clear that he values that end of the floor.
“We talked in our conversations and the biggest word we used was ‘sacrifice and everything else is gonna flow from there… I want him to set a tone defensively for our team. Just get back to guarding, guarding, guarding… I want him to get back to guarding at a championship level.”
Hopefully, we see the roster changes pay off for the Los Angeles Lakers. The improved defense alone means that they will be a better team during the 2022-23 season than during the 2021-22 season.
If the Los Angeles Lakers make the playoffs, they will have a chance of making a deep run even as a lower seed due to the presence of LeBron James on the roster. They definitely have the talent to make it to the postseason, but they will need to build chemistry and cohesion throughout the season to get there.
