"Does he no longer care how bad his team has been?" - Skip Bayless still critical of LeBron James after 50-point performance vs struggling Wizards, says he "looks so proud of himself"

LeBron James came out gunning once again as the LA Lakers bagged an important 122-109 victory against the Washington Wizards. James played 36 minutes, converting 18 of his 25 field goal attempts, which included six made three-pointers. He finished the game with 50 points, seven rebounds, six assists and a win.

The fact that the victory came at home made it even more special. The Wizards match-up saw James’ record a second consecutive 50-point night at home, making him the only other Laker apart from the late Kobe Bryant to do so.

However, LeBron James’ harshest critic – Skip Bayless - brought back the focus to the Lakers’ rollercoaster season. As the game progressed, Bayless tweeted a response to James’ antics, saying:

“LeBron looks so proud of himself. Does he no longer care how bad his team has been? How many late/close games he has blown? Guess not.”

For the fans, it is always a treat to watch LeBron James perform at such a high level, dropping 50 points when he’s 37-years-old. But from a franchise standpoint, the Lakers are still fighting to stay in the Play-In tournament bracket and someone apart from James needs to show consistency. Ideally, James should not have to put in that much effort to beat a team like the Wizards.

LeBron James came out of the locker room with an agenda to put on a show and he did not disappoint. Throughout the game, James interacted with fans, getting them going as he made some tough shots. James’ showboating caught Skip Bayless’ eye, as he tweeted midway through the game, saying:

“LeBron is funny, showboating, chest-beating, playing to the crowd at the Crypt – in a back-and-forth game vs THE WIZARDS WITHOUT BRADLEY BEAL. You’d think he’d be a little ashamed the game is so close. You’d also think he could play just a little defense as the Lakers’ “center.””

LeBron James is standing out, but the Lakers are still trying to climb out of a deep hole

Things haven’t been merry for the Lakers organization this season. The franchise’s failed experiment – Russell Westbrook – had one of his worst shooting nights in the win against the Wizards. Westbrook made just two of his eleven attempts in the game and had it not been for LeBron James’ highlight night, the game could have gone either way.

The LA Lakers (29-37) are ninth in the West and have only 16 games left to keep their playoff hopes alive – via the Play-In tournament. While they registered a win, Frank Vogel would have hoped for the team to win by a bigger margin – considering the opponents.

The Lakers do not have an easy end to the regular season, as they have a lot of tough opponents in the upcoming games. With the clock ticking, if the Lakers are unable to find a winning formula, even making the playoffs would prove to be a challenge.