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Sam Quinn, an NBA analyst for CBS, has said that the LA Lakers' struggles this season have been largely due to LeBron James' absence due to injury.
Since the team signed LeBron James in free agency in 2018, the Lakers have had high expectations. That only makes sense when one has a player of James's caliber in the team. The Lakers traded away their youth and depth for All-Star Anthony Davis, and won the 2019-20 NBA championship.
Explaining why the Lakers have struggled this season, Quinn tweeted:
“There are a lot of valid criticisms of the Lakers. I promise, there’ll be time for all of them. For now, you’re all overthinking the hell out of this. LeBron James isn’t playing.”
This offseason, the Lakers looked to repeat recent history by trading away their depth for Russell Westbrook. However, the team has stumbled to a 7-6 start through the first 13 games of the season. The passionate LA Lakers fanbase is disgruntled with their team's slow start, but the bright side is that James has only played in six of these games.
An 83-107 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves could have been one that breaks the camel's back for the fans. The Timberwolves were on a six-game slide before beating the Lakers in Los Angeles, which added salt to the wound.
Former NBA player, now ESPN NBA analyst, Kendrick Perkins took a different perspective, though, tweeting:
“The Lakers ain’t need Bron tonight they needed Jesus Christ himself! Carry on...”
How much do the LA Lakers need LeBron James right now?
LeBron James has missed the last five games for the Lakers with an abdominal injury. The Lakers have gone 2-3 in that period. It is clear the Lakers need James to be the court to play their best basketball, so what does that mean for the team?
Surprisingly, LeBron James has put up better stats in the Lakers' two losses that he has been a part of. In losses so far this season, James is averaging 29.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and five assists per game. His corresponding numbers in the three wins are 22.5 points, five rebounds and eight assists per outing.
The moot point is that the Lakers need James to be the team's point guard and use his passing ability to win games. The issue is that the Lakers traded for a starting point guard in Westbrook, who has been up and down this season.
With LeBron James out, the Lakers' shortcomings have been laid threadbare. They have lost to the Timberwolves, who lost six straight, and Oklahoma City twice, who at one point had only had two wins, both against the Lakers. The Lakers also lost to a struggling Portland Trail Blazers team by 15 points.
However, the 17-time champions beat the Miami Heat, who are one of the best teams in the league. That makes the Lakers' performances without LeBron James that much more perplexing.
LeBron James is required for the Lakers to win another NBA Finals. Even though their losses have been weird, and to teams lower in the standings, they still show the lack of depth and focus, which LeBron James' presence can address.
