Dwyane Wade and LeBron James were one of the most iconic duos in NBA history. Therefore, hearing him say that LeBron James’ injury is one of the best things to happen to Luka Doncic and the Lakers is rather surprising.
On the most recent episode of his own podcast, ‘Time Out with Dwyane Wade’, the Heat legend spoke about Luka Doncic and the Lakers and explained why he believes LeBron James’ absence is one of the best things to happen to them.
“I like what they’re doing. You know, all the questions that were asked of me, like what are you going to be looking forward to coming into the season? The main thing I said was like I’m focused on Luka.”
“Luka was number one on my list because I wanted to see how Luka was going to approach this season. You know, obviously, the biggest news in basketball last year was Luka getting traded, right? That’s when the NBA season really started last year,” said Wade while addressing the circumstances that brought Doncic to the Lakers.
“Got a chance to see him over the summer and see how he approached this summer taking care of his body, shedding, shutting everybody up when it comes to his weight, and all the things that people, you know, like to pull at when it comes to greatness.”
“And he came back and like, yeah, I’m on the cover of Men’s Health, holler at me. You know what I mean? And I think one of the best things that’s happened to not only him, but also AR, Rui, and all these guys is that LeBron has been out.”
“Because yeah, they’re going to have to adjust at some point to, you know, you say adjust to LeBron James, but you know, it allowed for Luka to lead the show. And obviously, he’s brought in to be the future of the Lakers. And so it allows us to see Dallas Luka again in a sense, right?”
“That’s what we’re seeing. Um, but also to see his evolution and his growth, or see how well he plays with another guy like Kyrie, that’s, you know, good with the ball in his hand. How does he play with that dynamic? AR is that other guy who’s showing you that he can score 40 and 52.”
The Lakers have started the season with eight wins and three losses in their first 11 games without James this season. In this time, we saw both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves step up to lead the franchise in his absence.
Doncic is currently averaging 37.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 9.1 assists, while shooting 49.1% from the field after playing in seven of the Lakers’ 11 games this season. His stellar performances are the major reason why the Lakers had a strong start to the season.
But it was also Austin Reaves who stepped up when even Doncic was out with an injury. Reaves has so far averaged 30.3 points, 9.0 assists, and 5.1 rebounds this season in eight games played, while shooting 48% from the field.
The next big question is, would LeBron James accept being a third option when he returns?
He is at a stage in his career where individual accomplishments are no longer his primary concern. And the team has on multiple occasions reiterated how much they need him back. Therefore, if he believes that it is the right way to take the team to a championship, he might accept the sacrifice for the greater good as long as he feels needed on the team.
