The Los Angeles Lakers have a 17-18 record and have lost nine of their last 12 games. As the midway point of the season looms, they have gone from potential championship contenders to a team teetering on the brink of disaster.
The causes for their poor play are numerous. They have had a seemingly endless string of injuries to key role and complementary players. Head coach Darvin Ham has made questionable decisions with his lineups and rotations. The roster has deficiencies.
While there may not be much that can be done about those roster deficiencies or even some of Ham’s decisions, there is one man who can be the impetus behind a Laker revival.
That man is LeBron James.
When a team is going through a skid like this, it has historically leaned upon its best player and leader for stability and support. Anthony Davis has been doing his part lately. Now it’s time for James to raise his game.
Overall, the 39-year-old has been having a strong season. However, he shot 6-of-18 in Wednesday’s loss to the Miami Heat and has scored 17 or fewer points in three of his last five games. That will not get it done.
This is a situation where James needs to galvanize his team and get it to play with some sort of controlled anger. He needs to lead from the front, just as he has when things have gone well for the Lakers.
After the loss to Miami, he left without talking to the media. Obviously, he was very unhappy, and he needs to channel that emotion into something productive for himself and his mates.
LeBron James left without speaking to reporters after the loss.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 4, 2024
James has a history of displaying passive-aggressive behavior and retreating into the shadows when things haven’t gone well for his team. On the other hand, he also has a history of showing great leadership and being very engaged when he feels his team has a real shot at winning the NBA championship.
The Lakers cannot wait for their non-superstars to play better, for a trade to go down or for Ham to get fired. They need to be their own saviors, and it starts with their leader.
This is an opportunity for James to be the spark plug behind a winning streak and an extended hot stretch that could drastically change the mood and talking points surrounding this team. After all, the schedule is set up for it to do just that; 10 of its next 11 games will be at Crypto.com Arena.
If James does that, and the team gives itself a shot at contending for the world title, it could even add to his already impressive resume and legacy.