LeBron James’ 2019 is ending a lot better than it started as he and his Los Angeles Lakers are at the top of the Western Conference standings and he’s in good health while ringing in his 35th birthday with his teammates. In January of 2019, James was injured and suffered the most extended absence of his career so it shouldn’t be a shock that he didn’t rate out as one of the five best players in 2019.
ESPN’s Kevin Pelton determined who the best players of 2019 were in terms of what they added to their teams and Kawhi Leonard was ranked No. 1 after his Finals MVP performance and NBA championship while LeBron James was ranked No. 7.
Here’s Pelton’s analysis of LeBron.
Despite missing 24 games during the 2019 portion of the 2018-19 regular season and watching the playoffs at home, there’s only so far James can drop on this list. After all, he has returned this season as one of the league’s most dominant forces, leading the fortified Lakers to the best record in the Western Conference heading into 2020.
In addition to the injury that James dealt with to begin 2019, the Lakers also shut him down once they were eliminated from postseason contention. But the way he’s returned after the longest break from competitive basketball he’s had in over a decade makes him a contender to get back to the top in 2020. And Pelton’s list also illustrates what everyone knows, he’ll have to take down Leonard to do it.