LeBron James arrived late to the party being thrown by the Los Angeles Lakers to start the new season. After a slow start that had some concerned, the aging star is showing clear signs of still being the party animal that everyone remembers.
There were a few performances that proved to be less than what can typically be expected from James. Many were ready to fan the flames. LeBron was finally starting to look his age, they said. The Lakers star even lost his legendary double digit scoring streak in the process. Critics were drooling.
James was officially a passenger on the Lakers' ship. The all-time great was just along for the ride. Those ready to write him off were happy to forget that LeBron was playing catch-up after his sciatica injury. That part was just a needless detail.
An argument can be made of this next part overvaluing a small sample size, but the last four games have demonstrated clear glimpses of James' usual self. LeBron has played his way back up to speed, and quite frankly, the NBA's all-time leading scorer has done it much faster than expected.
Everyone keeps waiting for the cliff — LeBron still hasn’t found it
After losing his scoring streak to the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 4, James missed the second night of a back-to-back against the Boston Celtics. Ever since returning from that very brief absence, LeBron has looked dominant once more.
James is averaging 25.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.0 steal per game over the last four games. That also includes shooting 53.8 percent from the field.
Now that is closer to the LeBron that everyone is accustomed to. What has been particularly impressive is the last two outings.
Austin Reaves has missed both games after suffering a left calf strain. There was a ton of dialogue before that injury about James slipping into the role of third option behind Reaves and Luka Doncic. In being asked to serve as the second star to Luka once more, LeBron hasn't skipped a beat.
The offense still looks strong from James, and his teammates have been thankful for the role he's played.
"Shout out to Luka and those guys, LeBron, [for] finding me," Marcus Smart told reporters after a strong 5-of-9 shooting night from beyond the arc.
If nothing else, James will always be capable of falling back on his tremendous playmaking. It was the part of his game that shined brightest as the Lakers star was still trying to figure things out upon his return.
The Lakers continue to find ways to win despite having obvious flaws. The more settled in James keeps getting, the more Los Angeles can overcome.