2. Second Reason for Signing Tyson Chandler…LeBron James.
How many people REALLY thought that LeBron James was going to play the five spot? I mean really? LeBron James never embraced playing the center spot this season.
When he played the center spot he was terrible. Case in point, in the Houston game after the fight, LeBron allowed James Harden free reign to the basket for a layup in crunch time? He basically moved out of the way.
This signing really does bail LeBron James out. What happened to the days when LeBron was supposed to play the back line and allow others to initiate the offense? Now, what do you see? LeBron James has reverted back to his Cleveland days bringing the ball up.
Now that Tyson Chandler is a legitimate back up for JaVale McGee, you can basically say goodbye, for the most part, to LeBron playing the center spot unless something strange and unusual happens.
A lot of people will blame Magic Johnson for the lack of a quality big man to back up McGee. But I don’t. The reason that the Lakers weren’t so urgent to sign a big man was based on the fact that the Lakers front office was counting on James to commit to playing the position in stretches.
Let me show you a couple of the very few post up spots on offense LeBron James have tried this year…
LeBron spins and finishes through contact.#LakeShow (📺: @SpectrumSN, NBA TV) pic.twitter.com/SpyrJu6gT0
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 23, 2018
This was LeBron James’ best game of the season. Albeit in a loss, James got aggressive when he got the ball in the post. He does a drop step on Dante Cunningham on the baseline and dunks on him. This was at the Staples Center…
On the road in San Antonio…
With this baseline bucket, @KingJames passed Shaquille O'Neal for the sixth-most made field goals in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/DMAnl9C5sn
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 28, 2018
LeBron James backs down Rudy Gay and lays the ball up easily. On the other side…
Two more for @kingjames to move up the all-time list!#LakeShow (📺: @SpectrumSN) pic.twitter.com/90IEitNbbL
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 28, 2018
LeBron James shoots the fadeaway jumper a few feet out of the post. But that has nothing to do what LeBron does on defense…
Los Angeles Lakers: Evaluating LeBron James in crunch time
The Los Angeles Lakers are now 2-5 pending the outcome of the Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers have lost a lot of close games. Do they have a closer?
The best players in the NBA are not centers unless you count Joel Embiid (Anthony Davis is a power forward and DeMarcus Cousins is out!). The majority of the superstars are guards and wing players.
LeBron James has not stepped up to the challenge of stopping the other team’s best player! All losses the Lakers have this season could have been altered if James switches over and guards someone like Jimmy Butler perhaps…
https://twitter.com/Timberwolves/status/1057118675205992449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1057118675205992449&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Flakeshowlife.com%2F2018%2F11%2F01%2Flos-angeles-lakers-evaluating-lebron-james-crunch-time%2F
My point is this…
Magic Johnson was not wrong in not getting a big man immediately going into this season. He was banking on a more consistent effort from LeBron James. James was the one that did not deliver on his end of the bargain.
If James had done what he had promised and truly delivered on what was planned the night he signed that $154 million dollar contract, maybe the Lakers would not be struggling so mightily on defense. Plus, the offense would be operating smoother in the dry spots the Lakers are getting well known for. ESPECIALLY in the fourth quarter.
Speaking of the boss!