– Average double-digit assists
Compared to last season, we might see James in a far more active role as the primary ball-handler. With Lonzo Ball last season, we saw James off the ball a bit more than in previous years. As a strong young point guard, this certainly made sense, as James is a better off-the-ball player than Lonzo at this stage of their careers. However, James’ best attribute on the court might be his vision and passing ability.
Over the course of his career, we have seen James have a ton of success in the pick-and-roll with shooters flanking on the side. Last season, the Lakers did have a good roll man in JaVale McGee, but they have improved in that area with the addition of Davis.
Also, the Lakers now have far better shooters to surround James with. The lack of shooting last season was a major flaw for the Lakers, but that issue was resolved this offseason.
Now that James is playing with another superstar like Davis, he might look to be a bit more passive on the offensive end. The Lakers won’t need James to score 30 points a night to be successful, and he could be best utilized distributing the ball to his teammates. With that being said, James averaging double-digit assists is a very realistic and reachable goal.