LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, despite getting swept by the Denver Nuggets, were able to redeem their season after the All-Star break. The Lakers went on an incredible run during the end of the season to secure a play-in spot, and they did so without LeBron James, which Dwyane Wade believes they benefitted from.
During an interview with Shannon Sharpe, Dwyane Wade said that the Los Angeles Lakers actually benefitted from LeBron James getting hurt, as it forced players to step up and discover their role in the team.
“I think the outcome is different between the Lakers. With him getting that time away, we actually got a chance for them to grow outside of LeBron. We got to see AD grow to that level. Obviously with him on the floor, we were like ‘top 5 player in the league’. We got a chance to see what D-Lo can bring, what Austin Reaves can bring”.
“The best thing to happen to the Lakers was LeBron’s absence because it allowed them to not have to depend on him. When you got a great player, you depend on that great player. They had the rock, and they had something to play for in the middle of that. I think it was great for the Lakers, and that allowed him to come back”.
(From 42:21 mark)
Wade added, “Then you see when he came back, he was a different player to what he was when he went out. Even though his numbers were still big, he wasn’t leading the charge as much. He was allowing Reaves, he was allowing AD and all these guys to do their thing and he was just shadowboxing till he needed to be LeBron.”
The Lakers definitely had a tough task ahead of them when they lost LeBron during the final stretch of the season. Players like Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves played incredibly well to keep the Lakers in the play-in mix during the time. On top of that, these players also got a good run of form going before the playoffs began.
LeBron James Was Back To His Best In The Playoffs
LeBron James was having a solid season prior to his injury, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists. His injury caused the Lakers head coach Darvin Ham to change his approach, and build the entire team around Anthony Davis. AD delivered as Ham had hoped, playing some of the best basketball of his entire Lakers tenure.
When LeBron James returned ahead of the playoffs, he got his reps in ahead of the tough post-season. His numbers actually went down in the playoffs, averaging 24.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists. But this was not seen as a bad thing, as the rest of the team’s numbers increased significantly.
While the Lakers lost in the Western Conference Finals, they still made it further than anyone expected them to. Wade also spoke about LeBron James potentially retiring, stating that he didn’t believe that James would do it. Wade is one of LeBron’s closest friends, so he would know what The King is thinking.
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.
