LeBron James’ newfound role with the Los Angeles Lakers continues to make headlines. The superstar has always shaped a team, but this is the first time he has looked to adapt to a side building and playing around mercurial guard Luka Dončić.
This shift saw Paul Pierce commend James for embracing a role that many doubted, but at the same time, Pierce believed the move wasn’t necessarily a guarantee of a championship for the Lakers.
Paul Pierce’s Bold Prediction for the Lakers’ Playoff Run
Speaking on “No Fouls Given,” the former Boston Celtics superstar said James deserved credit for his new role but added that it wouldn’t push the Lakers to a deeper playoff run.
“Like I said throughout the course of the year, the Lakers won’t make it out of the first round. Because I wasn’t sure if LeBron could play the role he was playing right now,” he said.
“Now that he’s morphed into this guy, to where all right I’ll be our 3rd best player, on some nights 2nd or 1st. But he is embracing that now, and the chemistry looks a lot better. And now they’re playing the best basketball of the year. Do I think they get out of the 1st round? I don’t think they will make it out of the first round.”
After missing the start of the season with sciatica, James’ fit with Dončić and Austin Reaves was one of the primary talking points. The bigger debate was whether he could embrace the role as the team’s third scoring option behind the two guards. However, the four-time NBA champion’s willingness to adapt has seen Los Angeles play its best ball.
While the Lakers and James have thrived, it is worth noting that the 41-year-old is still elite on both ends of the floor. At the time of writing, James is averaging 21.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.9 assists.
In addition to stacking up double-doubles and triple-doubles, he has been a force offensively, and his defense on and off the ball has been instrumental in the team fending off opposition scoring attempts.
Earlier, the veteran forward had a cheeky response to the narrative of his adaptability. “I mean, it sells papers a lot easier, and clippings and podcasts if you say, ‘LeBron, the team is better off without him,'” James told reporters after the 134-126 win over the Miami Heat, per The Athletic. “A lot of people will try to, like, view it. So, I get it …”
James’ adjustment is one of the reasons behind the Lakers’ resurgence in the last few weeks, and with their current form, they are more likely to go beyond Pierce’s predicted first-round exit.
