Are the Los Angeles Lakers too dependent on LeBron James? Despite being 39 years old, LeBron is still delivering. The King has started this season off in excellent shape as well. However, things aren’t too rosy in the City of Angels. In an interview with SHOWTIME Basketball, the host showed DeMarcus Cousins a tweet that revealed the Lakers as the only team that failed to secure a lead at halftime this season. The 4x All-Star remarked the Lakers lack squad depth and rely too much on James.
King James has consistently been a league leader in the plus-minus category. James remains the undisputed driving factor behind the Lakers’ success. But for how long?
DeMarcus Cousins believes the Lakers need a third star alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis
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LeBron James is a supreme playmaker whose presence on the floor makes every teammate a better player. Without him, the Lakers become a very different squad. The Lakers reportedly agreed to limit James’ playing time this season. They intend to give newer players a chance and preserve James for big games.
The Lakers have had a mediocre start to the season, losing five of their first ten games. In the interview, DeMarcus addressed why the Lakers are falling behind.
“It’s very concerning, and obviously I’ve spoken on this before. Any team that’s dependent on a 39-year-old to lead you to every win, it’s just not going to be much success behind that, and no knock to LeBron. He’s a legend, he’s great, and he’s doing things that we’ve never seen before from a guy his age. But just to expect that on a nightly basis from this guy is: one, completely unfair to LeBron, and two, is just not really realistic,” Boogie said.
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He further stated how the team could become a bigger threat. “I think the Lakers need a third star. I think Austin Reeves is a great player; he’s going to be a good player in this league, but as of right now, at this stage, he’s not just that guy for this Lakers team. They have to get a third star; they have to get somebody that to accompany LeBron and AD.”
DeMarcus Cousins believes it is too much for LeBron James and Anthony Davis to carry the Lakers on their backs all the time. The 33-year-old also recognized Davis’ contributions to the team and gave him praise. He gets backlashes when he isn’t performing well, but no compliments when he is playing well. So can the Lakers improve?
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The Lakers still have hope despite a poor start
Any team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, as well as Austin Reaves emerging as a credible third option, should be optimistic, but the Los Angeles Lakers may be the team most likely to fall short of their lofty expectations. The Lakers have a record of 5-5, which sees them occupy the 8th spot in the standings.
While the Lakers’ competitors like the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, and Los Angeles Clippers have started poorly as well, the reigning champions Denver Nuggets sit atop the Western Conference Standings with an 8-2 record. So it might eventually boil down to whether anyone can overcome the Nikola Jokic juggernaut.
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Do you think the Lakers need a third star? Who do you believe the Los Angeles Lakers should bring in as a third-star player? Let us know in the comments below.