“LeBron James was one of those players [who was] smart, so smart that he plays to his strengths and never his weaknesses,” said Arenas. “When you’re trying to say ‘he’s not a one-on-one guy, he’s not this… he knows that his skill, he’s not gonna try to do it. He’s gonna play to his perfection, and that’s hard to do. That’s what LeBron mastered: I’m just gonna stick with what I’m great at, I’m gonna perfect it, I’m gonna get smarter, wiser… If y’all think he’s fast now, what you think was coming down the lane then?”
LeBron James may not be the best at everything on the court, but he’s good at picking and choosing his spots. Unlike so many high-usage players today, James doesn’t try to force the issue or do things outside of his capabilities. Instead, he sticks to what he knows and avoids stretching too far outside his comfort zone. This “play it safe” approach may not work for everyone, but it’s worked wonders for LeBron over the past 20+ years in the NBA.
As LeBron has aged, he’s had to adapt his game to lighten the load on his body. Instead of running, dunking, and flying to the rim like he used to, James is much more poised with his approach and prefers to look for the open man as opposed to taking the ball in isolation. Even so, this season has been another masterpiece for him, with averages of 24.8 points, 7.4 assists, and 7.2 rebounds per game on 52.0% shooting.
This season, while the Lakers have taken a step back defensively, they are still in the playoff picture out West, thanks mostly to LeBron and Antony Davis, who has been having a surprisingly healthy season so far. If LeBron can continue this trend and keep his play at this for the rest of the season, it will help the Lakers a lot in their mission of making another Finals run. At the very least, James’ continued dominance will further prove that he’s the best in NBA history at maximizing his talents and impact on the court.
As good as LeBron still is, it won’t be long before his career is over. As recently as May, LeBron was hinting at retirement, and while he did end up returning this summer, it was the first sign that he may be close to calling it quits. This season, at 22-23, the Lakers are not in a position to end this era the way they that LeBron deserves.
With a questionable coach leading the locker room and a shaky supporting cast to back up the stars, Los Angeles faces many questions about their potential this season and what comes next for them after it ends. Regardless of how it plays out, James has nothing left to prove in the NBA and he’s already made it clear that the only thing he’s playing for now is a chance to share the court with his flesh and blood.
