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Los Angeles Lakers: Why LeBron James has at least one prime year left

By Davide Tovani

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 22: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the second half against Brooklyn Nets during the basketball game at Staples Center on March 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 22: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the second half against Brooklyn Nets during the basketball game at Staples Center on March 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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Despite his age, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James has still a few years of his prime in front of himself.

The Los Angeles Lakers are still multiple weeks away from even training camp, but people are already making their predictions on who the best players and teams will be.

LeBron James seems to have gone down in these predictions because of the tough year he had this past season. He struggled for the first time with a major injury and did not qualify for the playoffs for the first time since his sophomore season.

Wait. What? What did I just say? He had a tough season!? Averaging 27-9-8 is what is defined as a tough season? A groin strain is a major injury? That is not what I usually designate a tough season. This is a kind of season players would love to have!

Besides, LeBron was barely made All-NBA third team for the short number of games played and the Lakers missed the playoffs because of the unbelievable plethora of injuries that plagued them.

And yet, analysts and NBA experts are already counting LeBron out of the circle of elite players. They don’t believe he is the dominant player he once was and overthrowing him off the throne of the best player in the game, already electing his successors.

Let’s just take a long and more insightful look at his first season in purple and gold and see how “bad” the chosen one has fallen.

Through 55 games played (still way more than half an NBA season) LeBron has averaged 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists in 35.2 minutes. This means he had the sixth-best scoring average of his NBA life, third-best rebounding, and fourth-best assisting, playing the fewest minutes per game in his whole career. It would already be enough for me to dismiss the case, but there is still room and points to discuss to prove all the hearsay wrong.

Returning to the team after missing 17 games for a groin injury, he increased every stat in a push to try to qualify for the playoffs, averaging through 21 games, 27.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 10 assists.

He would miss four more games for load management and be shut down for the final six because it was stupid to risk him getting injured when it was too late for the season to be salvaged and the Lakers were out of the playoff run. This brings the count to 65 games he could have played if the situation had warranted it.

Calling, at 35 years old and having played 38.8 minutes per game for 15 seasons, a groin strain your first major injury is a luxury not many players can afford.

A strain (whether it is grade 1, 2 or 3) is an injury that is not career-threatening. It does not leave any long term or chronic damage and it does not require surgery. It just takes time to heal. How absurdly can people say that James’ body is finally starting to decay and that from now on injuries will be a major issue for him?

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When the King went down, the Lakers were the third seed in the Western Conference and were kicking the Golden State Warriors’ ass on Christmas day. How in the world could they have finished out of the playoffs if multiple injuries did not have tormented them through the whole season?

Besides LeBron, Brandon Ingram missed 26 games, Lonzo Ball missed 35, Rajon Rondo 36, and Josh Hart 15. If it was not for these injuries, James would have led the young and inexperienced team to the playoffs and made a strong case for the Conference Finals.

People have been fast to label LeBron as done after an unfortunate season, but he will prove wrong next year and will be hungry to do so.

Given his numbers from last year, LeBron will be back as the dominant player we all know, as he did not seem to have lost any step yet (at least on offense). He will probably be in the MVP contention again thanks to team results, and in the conversation for best player in basketball.

No injury alert. At least no more than any other player at his top physical condition. There is no reason for believing such a stupid narrative.

Next. Former No. 1 Draft Picks LeBron James Played With. dark

LeBron James still has a lot left in the tank and his prime is all but over, at least one or two years away, followed by a slow decline supported by Anthony Davis‘s presence, that will help manage his load and extend his incredible longevity and legendary career.

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