The Los Angeles Lakers are currently on an eight-game win streak, with their 134-126 win over the Miami Heat leading to a 10-1 record in March. The team has climbed up the West to take sole possession of the No. 3 seed with a 45-25 record, 2.5 games ahead of the No. 4 seed.
Luka Doncic’s incredible form over this stretch has been a key reason for the franchise’s success, as the Lakers have beaten multiple Playoff-caliber teams in their last eight wins. LeBron James has played in the last five and played a key role himself, averaging 20.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists while dropping a famous triple-double against the Heat as Doncic scored 60 points.
With Lakers head coach JJ Redick openly admitting James needs to become the team’s third option to give them the best possible shot at success, the 41-year-old forward has responded by embracing this new role. We’re seeing defensive effort from LeBron we haven’t seen since the 2020 bubble, as the entire team seems galvanized by James sacrificing ego for the best interests of the team.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes that the Lakers have become a dangerous dark horse contender in the West behind the two leading teams, primarily because of LeBron’s belief in the roster around him.
“The best thing I can say about the Lakers right now is that LeBron believes. If you’ve watched LeBron over the decades, there are times when you get to a point in the season where you know he doesn’t believe in his team. You can’t see it in stats, you just know it when you see it. I know it when I see it, LeBron believes in this team.”
James is averaging 21.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.9 assists this season. There have been tense moments this season about James’ integration into the team. The Lakers have a 14-7 record in games without James, which prompted a narrative of the Lakers being better without James spinning out-of-control.
His performances in the last five games have definitely shown that it isn’t the case, as LeBron’s presence and dedication to his new role have made them look a lot more dangerous.
It’s easy to forget that James is a multi-time All-Defensive selection because of his lagging defensive displays over the last decade. However, that poor defense was also a result of him having a gargantuan offensive load over this stretch and the waning energy of an athlete in their 30s to perform at the highest level on both ends.
Now that James doesn’t have to play 40 minutes a night with a 35% usage rate, he has the energy to make a concerted effort on defense to cover up the flaws of the Doncic-Reaves backcourt. With other players around the team like Deandre Ayton also openly admitting they need to embrace their role instead of holding onto dreams of being a star, it seems everyone is galvanized into following Redick’s vision for the team heading into the Playoffs.
James has set the tone in the locker room by embracing his role to the fullest. Chemistry is at an all-time high, but the roster might still not be good enough to beat West leaders like the OKC Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. At least now, in the case of a Playoff loss, nobody can say that this version of the Lakers or LeBron simply didn’t try hard enough to make it work.
