LeBron James Shown the Mirror With Cold Facts on His Stat Padding for Lakers; 23-Year-Old Austin Reaves Seen to Have Better Impact

At present, the Los Angeles Lakers are on the verge of losing out on playoff contention. Despite the team’s leader, LeBron James, playing at a high level, the Lakers don’t seem to be winning games and sit 9th in the Western Conference. In fact, in their latest matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans, the Lakers lost by 28 points despite LeBron having scored 32.

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In light of LeBron’s performances this season, he has still faced plenty of scrutiny. Most recently, he has been questioned regarding his stat padding. Of course, it is incredible to see a 37-year-old average 29 points a game. However, the Lakers are not winning. That is the bottom line. In light of this, LeBron was criticized for his stat-padding, while his young co-star, Austin Reaves, received plenty of praise.

LeBron James and Austin Reaves

In a recent discussion on the ‘SPEAK FOR YOURSELF’ show, Ric Bucher addressed the ‘King’s ability to provide wins for his team. Although he appreciated LeBron for his scoring prowess at 37 years of age, he used the Plus-Minus statistic to indicate LeBron’s impact.

“He (LeBron James) is getting amazing numbers for someone who is 37 years old. But we always have that qualifier for someone 37 years old,” said Bucher.

“I think the most telling factor is that his plus-minus, for the first time in his career since he was a rookie is underwater. That means that the Lakers give up more points than they score when LeBron James is on the floor,” he explained.

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Thereafter, Bucher explained a surprising fact about the Lakers. He mentioned that the rookie, Austin Reaves, along with others like Carmelo Anthony and Talen Horton-Tucker have a better plus-minus than LeBron. He added that they contribute ‘more to the bottom line than LeBron.’

In Conclusion

Ric Bucher is right with respect to LeBron’s career. Since his rookie year, this is the first time that LeBron has a negative plus-minus. However, the plus-minus statistic doesn’t tell the entire story. For starters, the statistic cannot isolate a player’s impact. This is because it simply measures the points scored and given up by the team when that player is on the floor.

It fails to reveal the abilities of the player’s teammates and opposition. Regardless, the only thing that the Lakers can do is play their best basketball possible. Furthermore, LeBron must carry on with his offensive firepower. The others can then look up to him for inspiration. Whatever the case may be, it’s now or never for the Lakers to win.