LeBron James has not been LeBron James
Through the first few weeks of the season, perhaps the biggest issue with the Los Angeles Lakers is the fact that LeBron James has not looked like his usual self at all. In fact, looking at the raw stats, Russell Westbrook has been slightly more efficient than LeBron on the offensive side of the ball.
That’s not good considering Westbrook is the player that many believe is holding the Lakers back at this point.
LeBron is averaging 24 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists per game. Those numbers look good on paper, but when you factor in the fact that he’s shooting just 45 percent from the field overall and 21 percent from the 3-point range, it gets complicated.
There are a lot of reasons why the Lakers are struggling to start the season, but it would be unfair to simply place all the blame on Westbrook. The Lakers are a mess and there’s not one primary culprit.