LeBron James’ MVP level of play should not be overlooked by LA’s woes

LeBron James’ MVP level of play has stood out for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. 

It’s safe to say that the Los Angeles Lakers haven’t been anywhere near one of the exciting teams to watch in the NBA this season. As the team is still looking to find their chemistry with new pieces, the team has shown inconsistency through the first quarter of the year.

But the one thing that hasn’t changed is the impact of LeBron James on this roster. Although James has had his share of missed games this year, when he is on the floor he is still one of the most anticipating acts to watch.

Many say that this is a do-or-die season for James, which is a weird narrative due to all of his accomplishments throughout his career. As the Lakers were bounced in the first round of the playoffs last season by the Phoenix Suns, the team made one of the biggest trades in the offseason by acquiring former MVP, Russell Westbrook.

The question coming into the year was how James, Westbrook, and Anthony Davis would be able to flourish on the floor together? Well, it hasn’t been pretty, to say the least, but the team is above .500 as of right now and are playing better as of late. In his 19th season, James had continued to be the Lakers’ best player. It’s as if he found a fountain of youth as of recently and his body has gotten younger.

It’s been an exciting season to watch James go to work. He has displayed the full package when it comes to knocking down shots, attacking the rim, and has also shown more effort on the defensive end. Considering the slow start that the Lakers got off to this season, James has understood that he needed to be extra aggressive in order to keep his team afloat. So far, James is nowhere near the MVP favorite but is slowly climbing the charts to place himself in the conversation.

James is averaging 26.3 points per game along with 6.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists. This season almost seems similar to James’ 2017-18 season, where he averaged 27.5 points per game along with 9.1 assists. While the Cleveland Cavaliers were struggling to find a rhythm, it was James who was keeping the team afloat.

With that being said, he led the Cavs to the 2018 NBA Finals before being swept by the Golden State Warriors. Although James’ supporting cast this season is better than four years ago, it is his leadership that is going to keep this Laker team in contention.

The past few games have been magnificent for James. It all began in last Tuesday’s matchup against the Boston Celtics. Considering how bad the Celtics blew them out a few weeks prior, a motivated James wanted to return the favor at home. He scored 30 points in the game and looked as if he wanted to send a message. Despite a 20-point performance in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, James quickly responded with a 33 point explosion against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Friday night performance seemed to bring some life into the Lakers. Although the team played without Davis, it was more likely one of their best overall games of the year. The Lakers would quickly follow their 21 point victory Friday night with another win over the Magic Sunday night, led by another 30 piece by James.

Although James’ recent performances have been great, there are some concerns that may affect him in the long run. Father Time is undefeated for older players and no matter how well James has played, it will approach him. This season, James is averaging 36.8 minutes per game, which is the most he’s played since 2017-18.

Resting could be an option but unfortunately, the Lakers need his presence on the floor each night. The question is how can James continue his dominance while being well-rested for the playoffs? It’s a balance that he and Lakers head coach Frank Vogel will need to figure out as the season continues.

In conclusion, The King continues to reign in his 19th season. The NBA announced Monday that James won the Western Conference Player of the Week, with an average of 28.3 points and 7.5 rebounds.

While James is having an MVP caliber season, how can the Lakers look to stay on the right track alongside his success? As many of James’ former teams started off the season struggling, they always found a way to finish the year strong.