Next man up has been the needed approach for the Los Angeles Lakers after losing Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic to extended injuries. That does not mean it is easy for the team. It also does not immediately make both Lakers guards afterthoughts in anyone's minds. LeBron James said as much.
"This current iteration of the group is all we have right now. So, we have to play and make the most of it. But, at the end of the day, in the back of our minds, front of our minds, and side, we're still thinking about Luka and AR. I mean, that's just human nature."
James added just how much both players matter to the team. Doncic and Reaves were both at the forefront of what the Lakers were doing. They were also front and center for the incredible surge Los Angeles enjoyed in the month of March. LeBron made sure that much was known.
As professionals, James expressed the Lakers will be forced to move on and play their game with what they have. That does not mean the process will be easy considering how much weight both of those players carry with the team.
LeBron James will need to rally the Lakers during imperfect times
It is an unfair ask of James at this stage and this age, but the aging star will undoubtedly be the man responsible for how far the Lakers go in the remainder of this campaign. That does not mean necessarily mean giving them a 2018 version of himself either.
Would getting that type of LeBron improve the Lakers' chances of staying afloat? Absolutely. Is it an incredibly unreasonable and unrealistic ask of him at 41 years old? Yes.
James has been strong in his two games as the first option since both star guards went down. However, the real fighting chance he can give the Lakers is through is leadership and stabilizing presence.
If the Lakers want to make it out of the first round, they need their entire roster playing some of their best basketball. JJ Redick certainly knows that. His unapologetic approach in holding his players accountable has made that clear. The head coach needs someone acting as that leader on the court.
That undoubtedly falls on James' massive shoulders.
There should be no sleepwalking through offensive actions, no half-hearted defensive movements, nothing of that short. The Lakers need their guys functioning together at a high level to breathe life into a team that is still wrestling with the sorrows of their best players being injured.
James needs to lead through action and through words. It will obviously be tough without Doncic and Reaves. If the Lakers do truly want to give either player a fair shot at returning to the lineup, though, they will have to hit that next gear in their absence.