Paul Pierce Asks Why Lakers Perform Better Without LeBron James
The Los Angeles Lakers yesterday showed one of their best performances this season against the Milwaukee Bucks. They won the game 128-124 in double overtime, and it was Anthony Davis who maintained control for his team once again. While the win against the East’s No. 2 team at such a crucial time in the season deserves celebration, it has also sparked another debate about LeBron James and his place on this Lakers team.
Paul Pierce talked about it today at the INDISPUTABLE show, stating that without LeBron in the rotation, the Lakers are performing at their best. Now, this is not the first time this conversation has occurred around the Los Angeles franchise. But with consistent results in LBJ’s absence, the issue needs greater scrutiny.
Pierce seemed particularly impressed by AD on the show and said: “Anthony Davis looked like the best player on the planet.” In addition to AD, he also praised Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell.
The Celtics legend said Reaves reminded him of the great Larry Bird, while DLo appeared to be an All-Star player once again. But ultimately it came down to LeBron and his role on the team. Pierce addressed the question with nuance, “AD needs to be the guy for the Lakers moving forward, and I think a lot of that has to do with LeBron stepping back and allowing these guys to break free.” The reason Pierce wants LeBron to take a step back is because he believes the 39-year-old is preventing the team from winning games to some extent.
The 46-year-old added that with a superstar of King James’ stature on the team, the ball rotation that helps the Lakers win games will be severely affected. However, Pierce said that when it comes to winning championships in the future, they will need LeBron on the team. But when it comes to these tough games, the Lakers are a better team without him.
The Lakers without LeBron James
With the rise of this narrative, we have started to see some major results in favor of the Lakers when LeBron is not on the court. In addition to a special performance against the Bucks, the LeBron-less Lakers also previously defeated the powerful Boston Celtics in Boston. According to the NBA Usage Chart, LeBron has the highest usage percentage on the Lakers team so far this season at 28.5. He ranks 27th overall, and the second Lakers player on the list is AD at 47th at 25.9%.
When we compare the Lakers’ usage percentage with and without LBJ on the team, DLo has a usage rate of 22.7%. with lebron, while it has 25.8% usage without him. AD’s stats tell the same story as him at 26.1%. with lebron and 30.3% without him. Reaves’ percentage also goes up a bit when LeBron is not on the team, as he has 21.5% usage. without him and 20.3% with the. So based on these stats, the claims against the four-time NBA champion make a lot of sense as these players are best utilized when playing without the pressure of having a superstar on the team.
