As long as LeBron James has been playing basketball, he’s been the main attraction. Usually, his teams are built around him and his talents, but now that Luka Doncic is firmly entrenched as the face of the franchise, people have been wondering how LeBron would take to playing a more complementary role.
Tuesday’s game against the Jazz, LeBron’s first of the season, went about as well as anyone could have hoped for. LeBron played 30 minutes, and though he didn’t impose himself as a scorer, his presence and playmaking made the offense really hum. When the final buzzer sounded, the Lakers had a season-high 140 points, thanks in part to LeBron’s 11 points and 12 assists.
Paul Pierce was one of the people who was dubious about LeBron’s ability to take himself off the pedestal and adopt a team-first mentality. In recent weeks, he suggested that LeBron should even come off the bench or that the Lakers should try to trade him. After seeing him play, Pierce is changing his tune, but still stand his ground on why he thought LeBron wouldn’t work.
“When has LeBron ever had to fit in? He’s never had to, right? We’ve never seen him fit in,” Pierce said on the latest episode of No Fouls Given.
“So now after all these years, you’re like, ‘How do we know?’ We still don’t know. This is a role he’s never played in his life, and that’s why I said usually LeBron is a guy, you have got to adjust your talents around him … I’m just questioning if he could do it,” the former NBA champion claimed.
Pierce liked what he saw against the Jazz, but he still wants to see if the good vibes can continue throughout the season as the Lakers face better teams. “I like how he was fitting in in his first game back, but we all know that LeBron ain’t out here to get 11 points, 12 assists and 3 rebounds, we all know that. Watch out after five or six games, then we’ll see,” he suggested.
Danny Green pitched in, “It’s still early. I liked the game, he played a really good floor game, he didn’t force the issue. I think he’ll play this role for a couple games until he starts feeling better about himself … Even though he’s a superstar, I think he’s still able to adapt and adjust. Most stars aren’t chameleons, they can’t adapt and adjust to being a role player … But I like to think that he could.”
LeBron is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, but he’s always prided himself more on his passing than his scoring. That’s one reason that he should be able to fit in. It also doesn’t hurt that the Lakers played really well without him, so he doesn’t feel like he has to come in and fix anything.
Pierce’s earlier take that the Lakers should trade LeBron is a funny one, because it’s not the first time he said a team should trade a star before giving that player a chance to show what he could do.
He had previously advocated for the Spurs to trade De’Aaron Fox this offseason because he wasn’t sure how the point guard would fit in with Victor Wembanyama.
Everything LeBron and the Lakers do moving forward will be scrutinized. They’re the most famous player and the most famous team in the league, after all.
If LeBron cares about winning as much as he’s said he does in the past, though, then it shouldn’t be an issue for him to get on board. The Lakers have a good team, and they’re undoubtedly better with the 4 time NBA champion than without him.
