3. The other Lakers can learn how to play and win without James
James is the engine for the Lakers. However, like anyone else, he cannot always be on the court, especially since he’s now 36 years of age and has the mountain of mileage that comes with 10 trips to the NBA Finals.
This means that his teammates need to figure out how to hold the fort when he’s not in the game, and this injury is giving them the perfect opportunity to do so.
After James first got hurt, the team lost three games in a row (they also lost the game in which James sustained his injury). But it has won back-to-back games, albeit really ugly contests against crap teams.
Still, a win is a win, and the team’s defense is holding up nicely, as it still ranks first in defensive rating.
Offensively, they have some real issues that predate the injuries of both James and Davis. You may remember that last season the Lakers had massive problems on the end of the court when James wasn’t out there.
If the rest of the team takes care of this issue, it will only make the entire team that much stronger when it’s back to full health, especially come playoff time.