The Luka Doncic addition gave the Lakers one of the most clutch players in the league, but to the surprise of many, LA didn’t look to the Slovenian for his late-game heroics in last night’s 100-97 loss to the Hornets. Instead, they put the ball in the hands of LeBron James. LeBron has struggled to deliver clutch plays during his tenure with the Lakers, but former player Lou Williams backed the team’s decision.
Advertisement
Although many talking heads believe James isn’t a clutch player, his long list of game-winners suggests otherwise. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to transfer his clutch genes from his previous stops to his career in Los Angeles.
LeBron missed two consecutive three-pointers in the final seconds last night to send the game to overtime. With the Lakers, he is only 1-29 from the field in game-tying or go-ahead field goals in the final five seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime.
Williams doesn’t pay any mind to that trend, though. He came to LeBron’s defense on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back, stating he will still take the NBA’s all-time leading scorer to take the final shot in the clutch. He said, “He’s been shooting the ball a lot better in his later years of his career… You have to allow him to have the opportunity to take that shot.”
“I’ll take LeBron James shooting these shots, even when you have Luka Dončić on the Lakers. Last night, LeBron was the best player on the floor.” – @TeamLou23
“It’s not like JJ Redick will draw up a plays like, ‘Don’t pass it to LeBron.'” – @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/THojd2G6t0
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 20, 2025
There may come a time when the Lakers look to Doncic to deliver in tight situations. However, last night, the newly added Laker struggled to find any rhythm at all offensively. He finished with 14 points on 5-18 shooting from the field and 1-9 from three-point range. Given the specific situation, Williams believes LeBron was the best option.
Matter of fact, Williams isn’t the only person to back LeBron in this case.
Brian Windhorst believes the Lakers made the right decision by choosing LeBron
NBA insider Brian Windhorst shares the same sentiment as Williams. He highlights Doncic’s struggles from the field as a key deterrent from giving him the ball in the final moments. LeBron had 26 points and was the only hot hand on the Lakers. It wasn’t hard to decide who should take the last shot. Windhorst said,
“This is really an easy answer, there is no way JJ Redick could have drawn up that play for Luka. He was not good in this game. LeBron is hot in the fourth quarter, has good energy. They draw up a play that creates an open look. It’s kind of a no-brainer.”
Windhorst went on to say that Luka didn’t appear to have his legs under him. This game marked only Doncic’s third game since missing over a month due to a calf injury. It’ll take some time for him to get back up to game speed. But the Lakers don’t have the leisure to be patient.
