By Benjamin Roussey
In short, No.
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are having a difficult season, which is not all that surprising. Some fans have expressed fears that this could be the end for James but many others are laughing because he probably should not have gone to the Lakers.
LeBron, for the first time in his career, made a massive mistake. If Lebron was looking to compete for a championship asap, he should have gone to OKC, New Orleans, or Milwaukee. He could even have went to Boston or Philadelphia. You can make the argument that the Lakers can trade players to acquire more established talent to surround Lebron with. But this year of futility definitely matters towards his legacy, when compared to likes of Michael Jordan who won his 6th and last championship at the same age Lebron is now.
The Lakers are performing so bad that they might not make the playoffs this year. The team has lost seven out of their last nine games and are slipping further away from the Western Conference playoff race.
On Saturday, The Lakers lost 118-109 to the league’s worst team the dumpster fire Phoenix Suns at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix.
Many have described the performance of the Lakers as disappointing. James made 27 points, had nine rebounds, and 16 assists in the game. But does it matter if someone viewed as one the leagues greatest players, has a solid game against the league’s worst team and leaves with an L? I Doubt it.
A bizarre incident that is very uncharacteristic of James happened during the game against the Phoenix Suns. During the third quarter, James threw an inbounds pass that went off the bottom of the backboard. The incident, which has gone viral, seems to perfectly sum up the terrible season that the Lakers are experiencing.
“That was just silly on my part,” James said when asked about the strange incident. “I thought I had a little bit more room to get it to (Ingram). JaVale was kind of right there. I tried it throw it over JaVale’s head, and I hit the foam on the backboard. That’s just stupidity on my part.”
James is famous for his excellence on the court and his leadership abilities. However, he has struggled to show these qualities during his time with the Lakers. Many thought Lebron would be able to carry the Lakers and their talentless roster like he was able to do with the Clevland Cavs, but that hasn’t been the case.
Despite his troubles, the reality is it’s unlikely that this is the end for James. He is still an amazing player and has many seasons to go but they will be wasted with the Lakers if they do not trade their young pieces for all-star quality help. Its time for LA so stockpile it’s weapons because the Clippers are looking like the towns best team right now.
