The Los Angeles Lakers’ decision to assemble a star trio of LeBron James, Luka Dončić, and Austin Reaves has yet to pay off. The Lakers have stumbled in December and stare at the possibility of falling in play-in contention heading into the New Year.
There were concerns over Dončić’s fit with Reaves and James when Los Angeles acquired the former Mavericks star earlier this year. They have resurfaced again, with one scout now delivering a blunt assessment that the trio may simply not work together.
NBA Scout Argues LeBron James and Luka Dončić Fit Better Without Austin Reaves
While James continues to defy Father Time, he has appeared to take a backseat this season, partly due to health concerns and partly because Dončić and Reaves are working well together. However, when Reaves is out of the lineup, James shifts into the secondary playmaker role, a setup that has arguably brought out the best version of him this season.
With Reaves in the lineup, James has at times failed to cross double-digit scores, but the scout believes he is content with his role, regardless of who is on the floor.
“It’s looked a little better with Austin being out,” he said. “LeBron is now a secondary playmaker. But the problem with Luka is if he doesn’t have the ball in his hands, he’s worthless. He’s awesome with the ball in his hands. He’s one of the best players in the league doing that.
“When you get all three of those guys together, somebody has to stand in the corner. And that’s been mostly LeBron. In the past, Austin would’ve taken that third seat. But he’s been active and sometimes doing too much. But I think LeBron seems fine with it.”
Reaves and Dončić have shouldered much of the scoring load for the Lakers, averaging over 60 points together, while James is averaging 20 points per contest and has stepped up every time either of Reaves or Dončić is out.
Another NBA assistant coach echoed similar concerns about the trio’s on-court chemistry.
“When all three of them are out there, it’s hard to watch LeBron. He’s not completely uninvolved,” he said. “But it’s just weird not to see him touch the ball so much. It’s odd watching him out there. When it’s just him and one of them, JJ [Redick] is able to find a way to keep LeBron involved and run ATOs for him and utilize his passing out of the post through different actions. But when it’s all three of them, it doesn’t seem like there is enough of a pie to split up.”
As long as James remains satisfied with his reduced role, the fit may be tolerable offensively. However, the Lakers’ bigger concern lies on the defensive end, where roster upgrades are expected to be a priority at the trade deadline.
Whether Los Angeles ultimately sticks with the trio remains to be seen, as speculation continues that Reaves could become a trade candidate. Regardless of how the roster shakes out, James appears comfortable letting Dončić run the offense, and as long as that remains the case, Lakers fans may still have reason for optimism heading into the rest of the season.
