No LeBron James? No problem for the Los Angeles Lakers. The purple and gold have catapulted to a 7-2 record despite dealing with a variety of injuries. Most notably, LeBron James hasn’t played a single second this season. It seems that this group has found a rhythm without the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Questions have begun to arise about whether the Lakers will maintain this cohesion when James returns to the lineup. But Kevin Garnett doesn’t believe the four-time NBA champion will ruin what the team has going.
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Austin Reaves has shown a significant sign of progression. The fifth-year star is averaging 31.1 points, 9.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game, which are all career-highs. Of course, Luka Doncic is as dominant as ever. The Slovenian star is currently averaging a ridiculous 40 points per game.
However, the main takeaway isn’t strictly on Reaves and Doncic; it’s on the rest of the supporting cast. Players such as Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart have been great across the nine games they have played. The Lakers have even received stellar performances from unlikely heroes such as Nick Smith Jr.
Unlike past renditions, this Lakers group has great depth. More importantly, everyone knows their role and is thriving in it. As a result, the Lakers boast the seventh-best offense in the NBA.
Now, with LeBron soon-to-be back in the mix, Paul Pierce doesn’t think that transition will be as seamless as the team hopes. The Boston Celtics legend is already looking at destinations for LeBron James’ next home.
“If you could get some assets [for LeBron],” Pierce said on Ticket & The Truth. “I don’t think they’ll be better [with James].”
Kevin Garnett, on the other hand, demands that his close friend pump the brakes. “You haven’t even put him on the floor with these guys yet, and they’re cooking,” Garnett proclaimed.
Before the Lakers acquired Luka Doncic, they hoped Anthony Davis could take the reins from James. Of course, that didn’t happen. Now, Doncic appears to be more ready for that task, especially since he has led a team to the highest stage once before.
Pierce’s concern is that LeBron is “just going to command so much.” While that may still be true, the last thing James wants to do at this stage of his career is carry a team. It’s also worth noting he is coming back from sciatica. There’s no telling exactly how refined he will be once he is back on the court.
Garnett understands Pierce’s point of view, but doesn’t want to count out The King just yet. The 40-year-old hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. Although this could be the beginning of the end, Garnett has learned not to doubt arguably the greatest NBA player of all time.
