3. LeBron James has still got it
There has been a lot of talks involving LeBron James and where he ranks among the NBA’s elite currently. He was inexplicably left off the list of best players in the NBA, receiving zero votes. That, in addition to missing the playoffs in his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers, provided plenty of motivation for King James.
A revenge tour was on deck for James this season. He was more rested than he has been in years and was ready to prove doubters wrong. This road trip, he did just that.
James was dominant in all three games for the Lakers. He recorded a triple-double in every game, as opponents had no answers for him. He is the first Laker to do that since 1987 when Magic Johnson accomplished the feat.
Against the Mavericks, James carried the team with 39 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds. San Antonio had 21 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds dropped on them, while Chicago received a 30 point, 11 assists and 10 rebound performance dropped on them.
James showed throughout the road trip that if the Lakers need a little extra from him, he can easily provide it. He added three blocks and eight steals as well for good measure, as he got after it defensively when the Lakers needed stops.
At times, the offense gets stagnant with James as the point guard. However, we also saw how great the results can be with James having the ball in his hands as the lead ball-handler.