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The Los Angeles Lakers finished with a subpar 37-45 win-loss record for their 2018-19 regular season, two places removed of the playoff picture, making this LeBron James' first summer out of the postseason in around 14 years. His decision to join the coveted Lakers franchise was unprecedented and the chain of events that were set in motion from that point on, are yet to screech to a halt.
In the backdrop of some horrible trade commitments during the season followed by the firing of an apparently undertalented head coach to a devastating breakup with the iconic Magic Johnson - who later spilled some sour beans on Rob Pelinka and the entire front office in general - the organization is on the verge of falling apart for all its worth.
Be it holding fort after letting the opposition take a 3-1 lead in the Finals or carrying an injury-undermanned squad in the playoffs, it has always been LeBron versus the world. With James as the centerpiece, the current status quo in LA is no different. This is not how the final few years of a Top 2 or Top 3 basketball player of all time is supposed to play out.
Let's take a quick look at the three burning questions facing the Kid from Akron as the offseason of despair approaches.
#1 Is Father Time catching up with LeBron James?
For someone who just played all 82 games in the previous season and willed a team of novices all the way to the NBA Finals after that, the laws of human anatomy fail to apply as in mere mortals.
On December 25, 2018, LeBron went down with a groin injury playing against the Warriors, which eventually resulted in his longest absence from basketball action ever. Nobody in touch with the NBA universe had seen this before and neither had James himself. He did end up making a full recovery and ended the season with blistering averages of 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game.
His valiant efforts down the stretch proved to be too little too late for the ailing Lakers roster as they failed to conjure a legit playoff push in time. Come to think of it, the man averaged 27-8-8 in what many considered as his 'down' year.
However, the 34-year-old did show signs of being an injury susceptible human being after all.
#2 Can he be the leader the Lakers need him to be?
Time and again, James has given ample proof of his abilities to be an efficient and effective leader for his team during crunch times. He possesses all physical and mental equipment needed to lead a team from the front, with an aura that demands respect.
Carrying such grandeur on a regular basis requires superhuman work ethic and that is what rubs off on all his teammates. Considering the Lakers are able to retain the prominent part of the young core in LA, LeBron should be willing to take it up a notch.
The team struggled mightily whenever he failed to step up or missed time due to injury, and that's a glaring anomaly that needs to be taken care of. Leading a successful regular season campaign and topping it off with a resilient and deep playoff run will require confidence on an individual basis from every player and way less reliability on the talents of the King than now.
#3 Can he get another major free agent to play alongside him?
Just a while back, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the following,
Davis is now focused on the Lakers and Knicks as the two desired long-term destinations, league sources told The Athletic. Davis has not given Griffin or the Pelicans a new formal list. He will be a free agent in 2020.
Also hovering were reports of the fact that Davis Griffin is preparing a "framework" that the Pelicans would accept in case of an Anthony Davis trade. In the backdrop of what happened during the mid-season trade melee and with current speculations aplenty, there is really one element that people seem to have not factored in yet. It's the recruiting mindset of one of the greatest basketball minds ever, LeBron James.
With Woj's latest report suggesting Lakers to not be a famous destination for available elite free agents, it's fairly believable that the King would not let things take their own course. He has always gone all out in hopes of landing a major superstar and a potential championship, no matter how harsh the repercussions may end up being. When it comes to business moves, we can rest assured he's not going to hold himself back, now that the fate of the crumbling Lakers name rests in his hands.
Guess the Lakers players!
