The Los Angeles Lakers have their hands full as they try to win four games against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
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The Lakers are in the Western Conference Semifinals, exactly where LeBron James expected the team to enter the season. During the offseason, James made it clear that competing for a championship remained his top priority.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Rich Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but values a realistic chance to win it all. We greatly appreciate the eight-year partnership we’ve had with Jeanie (Buss) and Rob (Pelinka) and view the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
James probably didn’t imagine this playoff run would play out the way it has, especially with Luka Doncic sidelined and Austin Reaves recently returning from injury. If the Lakers are going to have any chance of winning this series, they’re going to need more offensive production from players other than James.
“The Lakers’ dilemma surrounding LeBron James is exactly that: the players surround LeBron, not James himself. As has been a recurring narrative throughout James’ career, for whatever reason, LeBron doesn’t have enough help right now and there is no solution in sight. Unless Reaves can magically regain his midseason form over the course of the next two games, this could be a short series,” Lake Show Life’s Colin Keane wrote.
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At this stage in his career, James carrying a full playoff offense is no longer realistic night in and night out. Even at 41 years old, he’s still capable of breaking out for 30-plus points, but the Lakers can’t rely solely on him to get past Oklahoma City.
Reaves is expected to bounce back after his tough shooting performance in Game 1.
“But after shooting just 3-of-16 and committing a team-high four turnovers as the Los Angeles Lakers lost Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals to the defending champions, Reaves admitted that context doesn’t make sense at this point in the postseason,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wrote.
Los Angeles could be in serious trouble if James ends up being the team’s leading scorer throughout the series. It doesn’t have to be Reaves every night, but the Lakers need significant contributions from multiple players, similar to the spark Luke Kennard provided early in the postseason against the Houston Rockets.
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The Lakers still have a chance to steal Game 2, but it will require balanced scoring and consistent offensive support around James. If the burden continues to fall entirely on him, he could become a major problem for Los Angeles in the future.
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