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Los Angeles Lakers: Is LeBron James being too passive?

By Ethan Temkin

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 8: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers smiles during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 8, 2019 at STAPLES Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 8: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers smiles during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 8, 2019 at STAPLES Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the best teams in the NBA thanks to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But can LeBron be doing more?

The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of one of their best starts in franchise history, and LeBron James is having yet another career year, especially in terms of being a playmaker. Before the start of the season, it was announced that LeBron would be assuming the primary point guard duties, and so far he has excelled at that role, leading the league in assists per game by a huge margin at 10.8.

His playmaking alongside the incredible two-way play of Anthony Davis, and the solid contributions across the board from the Lakers role players have all been huge factors in the overall success of this Lakers team. But there still seems to be a lingering notion that LeBron James is still being too passive.

Per CleaningtheGlass, LeBron currently has a usage percentage of 37.1%, ranking 5th in the NBA, which almost on it’s own dispels the notion that LeBron is too passive. To further illustrate this point, whenever LeBron is on the floor, he is the undisputed floor general, regardless of whether or not he has the ball in his hands. He’s constantly calling out plays, and getting his teammates in the correct position on both sides of the ball.

In addition, he’s playing alongside the most talented big man he’s ever had in Anthony Davis, and, like any sane person would, is ceding a large chunk of scoring to him.

But perhaps the most important piece to the answer is that LeBron knows that he’s reached a different point in his career, and is smart enough to realize that he can’t go all out for the entirety of a game, let alone a season, and carry that same intensity into the playoffs.

During the regular season, especially this early in the season, LeBron plays the role of a researcher. He’s constantly studying where and how his teammates like to get the ball, what shots they like to take, and their tendencies on both ends of the floor. As a result, he tends to take a backseat and give his teammates more opportunities to make plays.

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A player as great as LeBron knows that he can turn it on whenever he wants, and is smart enough to know that basketball is a team sport, and that he needs his teammates to feel involved and comfortable within the offense. This rings especially true for their star big man and franchise player, Anthony Davis, whom LeBron has been making sure to keep involved on a nightly basis. So to say LeBron is being too passive is simply not true. If anything he’s probably the most engaged player on the floor every single game.

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