Ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season, when LeBron James’ sciatica diagnosis came out, the Lakers fans had every reason to be worried. Sure, they had a lean, mean Luka Doncic leading them, but without LeBron, everybody on the roster had to step up. And players like Austin Reaves have done it so well that fans across social media are now wondering if the Lakers are better without the King.
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The Lakers are currently 4th in the Western Conference with 8 wins and 3 losses. Doncic, despite having missed four games due to injury, has managed an impressive production of 37.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game. And Reaves, who elevated his game in a way no one saw coming, is averaging 30.3 points, 9.0 assists, and 5.1 rebounds across eight games.
But not everyone is willing to accept that the team is better without LeBron. Former Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade, for instance, has claimed that even though LeBron’s absence has been a blessing for Doncic and Reaves and others like them, the Lakers simply haven’t played enough games without the King to know if they can be contenders without him.
“I really love what the Lakers are doing. Shout out to JJ [Redick] and their coaching staff … I signed up for the JJ experience, I think he’s going to be a great coach in our league,” began Wade.
Praising the team for having made adjustments quickly, Wade added, “One of the biggest defensive schemes they made is how Luka is portrayed or highlighted in the defense, because they know that people are going to pick on Luka defensively.”
The three-time NBA champion praised the Lakers for creating a zone around Doncic, allowing him to play to his strengths. Wade also showed a lot of love for Reaves and Marcus Smart as well. The two have played some inspired basketball, changing the game once they found themselves in the thick of the action.
However, Wade is more interesting to know who takes the baton from LeBron, if at all anyone can. He stressed that all the chatter on social media about how the Lakers are probably still going to have a great season without LeBron is unfounded.
Wade, who played alongside LeBron with the Heat, added that it is disrespectful to talk this way about a player who still averaged over 22 points a game. “Not a lot of the team have the luxury of having a player that can make that kind of impact,” he asserted, adding that once you’re on top, people are always happy to pull you down.
Wade then asked fans to wait for more games before passing judgment. “I think you should wait and get a whole year of what the Lakers can do,” he said.
“If LeBron was out for the whole year, then you can come back next season and say, ‘Well, we don’t.’ You can’t give me seven games,” added Wade, noting that he understood that people often get excited about new stars and developments.
“So the excitement about this style of play that they are playing without LeBron excites everyone because this is partially the future, right? And so, you want to get to the future now when you still have a guy … he ain’t going nowhere yet. This ain’t a guy you’re kicking out. This is a guy who’s going to walk off when he’s ready … You are never better without an impactful basketball player,” stressed Wade.
The 2006 Finals MVP then explained how LeBron’s presence pushes teams to victory. “LeBron impacts winning. So you are not better without him,” said Wade.
“You have figured out a game that allows you to be really good in his absence, but understand that it’s a long season. What happens when the guy carrying the load needs to take some time off? … Are you better without him then?” He sternly asked.
It’s a long season indeed, and the West is as tight as it has ever been. Doncic has already been injured, and players like Reaves might need a week or two off at some point. So Wade has a point here.
Of course, it will all depend on how LeBron performs when he comes back. Sciatica is known to be persistent and hampers performance. One can only hope that the greatest of all time will figure out a way to keep it at bay.
