At 40 years old, LeBron James is having an amazing season for the Los Angeles Lakers. With the playoffs right around the corner, James is feeling optimistic about his chances to win another ring but one league scout says that the 4x champion could be in for a rude awakening when the first round begins in April.
“The thing with LeBron is he’s not going to foul; you can score on him with the right matchup,” said an NBA scout, via ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “With the right personnel, he could be exposed on defense in the playoffs. He’s amazing, taking nothing from him, but it’s a worry.”
“Luka has to guard somebody, and you can wear him down,” the scout said. “When LeBron is on the weak side, he switches so he doesn’t have to move as much. I’ve seen him do it several times in one possession. In the playoffs you will see teams target LeBron and Luka, put them in the pick-and-roll.”
To be clear, the scout wasn’t talking down on LeBron’s basketball abilities. Even in year 22, he’s one of the best players in the world with averages of 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game on 51.3% shooting. As a 4x champion, 21x All-Star, 20x All-NBA player, and 4x MVP, James continues to build his case as the GOAT despite having nothing left to prove.
Still, James is not the same player he used to be and his decline has already begun. Offensively, James is not getting to the line nearly as often as before (career-low 4.7 free-throw attempts per game) and his efficiency is down compared to what it was last season.
Despite the decline offensively, the real issue for James is on the defensive end, where some critics have noticed a concerning trend. Teams have noticed that the Lakers legend is reluctant to foul, which means that he can be abused and exposed in the right matchup. At his age, teams will be targeting James on defense throughout the playoffs and some players may be able to take advantage of his vulnerabilities.
Opponents can play aggressively against James and those who are faster or stronger might be able to blow past him and attack the rim for easy shots. Without a proper big man or any kind of elite defender on the court, it becomes tough to hide James in certain matchups and some teams have started to catch on.
Elite defense has been the key to the Lakers’ success in the past and it seems like it will be crucial to their success this year as well. Without Anthony Davis to patrol the backline it puts the pressure on guys like LeBron, Reaves, and Luka Doncic to hold it down but none of them are known for being particularly effective defenders.
For the Warriors, or whoever matches up against them in the first round, the path to victory against the Lakers is to attack their stars and wear down LeBron James to a point where he can no longer keep up on the defensive end.
There’s no doubt that LeBron and the Lakers already have a plan to deal with this strategy but that doesn’t mean the road ahead will be easy. Everything will have to go right for LA and they’ll need the standings to shake out just right to get the matchups that are most ideal for a Finals run.
