The LA Lakers’ failure this season to climb up the Western Conference charts is eclipsing the value of LeBron James‘ achievements. Over the last few years, LBJ has stamped his name on several NBA records. At the same time, his team has been on the losing side more often than fans expected them to be. Earlier today, Paul Pierce joined the UNDISPUTED show with Skip Bayless, where he hinted that most of LeBron’s recent achievements hold no real value.
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A few days ago, Bayless said something similar on his show while drawing comparisons between the #9 ranked player on his all-time list, LeBron James, and the other eight players ahead of him. The veteran FS1 host said that playing longer won’t make LeBron a great player in his eyes and LBJ has never been a leader like the other greats.
When Pierce joined him on the show today, he started off by making similar claims against the Lakers and LeBron. The 46-year-old argued that it is time for the four-time NBA champion to take a step back for the greater good of the team.
As per the NBA veteran, LeBron is holding his team back from doing better in this season. Pierce pointed out that in his absence, players like D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves perform better in a manner that actually helps the team win ball games. He said, “Yes, LeBron’s been great numbers-wise, but LeBron’s got to take a step back.”
The 2008 NBA Champion further pointed out that without the 39-year-old, the Lakers managed to beat the Bucks and also went to Boston and defeated the Celtics. So, despite the usual scoring exhibit that LeBron puts out, he’s not really taking his team to the next level.
Other than asking LeBron to step back, Pierce also seemed unhappy about the attention being given to the Lakers and the Warriors. The NBA veteran said that there are enough teams in the league who are doing great things at the top of the table. Instead of focusing on them, the media keeps putting the limelight on the 9th and 10th seeds in the West.
The Lakers without LeBron
When we take a look at the stats of LeBron’s teammates with and without him, it seems like Pierce is not completely out of pocket. Without LBJ, the Lakers are 5-4 in the league this season, averaging 119.4 points. As for his teammates, they also perform at their best when the superstar is not in the rotation. The eight games that Anthony Davis has played without LeBron, he has averaged 28.1 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists. With LeBron on the team, AD’s average drops to 23.9 points, 12.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
The stats for DLo and Austin Reaves tell the same story. With LeBron, DLo’s average this season has been 17.3 points, 5.6 assists and 2.6 rebounds, whereas without him, he takes his average up to 21.7 points, 10.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds. Reaves averages 15.4 points, 5.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds playing alongside LBJ, and his average without LeBron goes up to 19.1 points, 5.0 assists and 3.9 rebounds.
