Los Angeles Lakers are being run by LeBron James

Expectations of LeBron:

Perhaps you remember that before the season started, the team and the public had these three expectations of LBJ:

1. Because the Lakers had so many other ballhandlers (Lonzo Ball, Rajon Rondo, Brandon Ingram, Lance Stephenson), James would allow others to do the heavy lifting. The plan was for them to set him up, passing the ball to him in positions where he could more easily score. Has that worked for even a minute?

2. As a corollary to the first point, LeBron would establish himself more in the low post, much as Michael Jordan had once done, where he’d presumably be an unstoppable force. Have you seen him there for more than a few plays?

3. In the absence of Julius Randle, who Magic foolishly let walk away, James would play the 5 when the Lakers went small. Although nothing was ever said publicly, it is obvious that LeBron refused to play that position, and the team now seldom uses the small-ball approach.

The point is that LeBron James does what LeBron James wants to do. Although he knew when he signed on that the team would be dependent on a still-developing young core, he still grew frustrated with their inconsistency and slower-than-he-wanted growth and demanded that Magic do something about it. And Johnson complied, foregoing his plan to build from within and add to the core, not break it up.

It didn’t matter that Ingram missed 11 games due to injury and suspension, that Ball severely sprained an ankle and will sit out 12 or more games, and that Kyle Kuzma’s mobility and effectiveness was limited by hip and ankle injuries.

LeBron decided that once again that he must play alongside established stars, just as he did in Miami and Cleveland (more about that later). And he made sure that Magic got that message loud and clear. And whatever LeBron wants, LeBron does everything in his considerable power to get.

So he and his agent Rich Paul, who is also Anthony Davis’ agent, set in motion a plan to try to manipulate the Pelicans into trading Davis to the Lakers. It didn’t matter to LBJ that LA might have to surrender its entire young core. In James’ mind, the Lakers could throw all long-term planning out the window. Building a sustainable contender is not his concern.