The Lakers’ offense looks out of sync, and some believe LeBron’s future could hang in the balance
LeBron James Reportedly Frustrated as Luka Doncic Takes Over Lakers OffenseLAPRESSE
Luka Doncic was brought to Los Angeles to elevate the Lakers. So far, he’s definitely taken over-but not everyone’s thrilled about how it’s going.
After a rocky March where the Lakers dropped key games and chemistry seemed to slip, attention has turned to Doncic’s style of play. FS1’s Chris Broussard, usually a vocal supporter of the Slovenian star, didn’t hold back on First Things First this week.
“I love Luka, I’ve called him ‘Luka Legend,'” Broussard said. “But man, the guy is just monopolizing the offense right now. It’s too much.”
The issue isn’t just the volume of Doncic’s touches-it’s who’s getting left out. Broussard pointed out that even LeBron James, at age 40 still one of the most intelligent and efficient players in the game, has been turned into a glorified floor-spacer in the current offense. “That’s not how you use LeBron,” Broussard said. “It’s borderline disrespectful.”
If LeBron’s the passenger, who’s driving the Lakers’ fFuture?
That frustration isn’t new. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst made similar comments during last year’s NBA Finals, calling out Doncic’s defensive lapses and tunnel-vision offense. Now, the same issues are showing up in purple and gold-and at the expense of a living legend.
To be fair, Doncic has dealt with a lot this season, including injuries around him and the pressure of filling LeBron-sized shoes whenever James has sat out. But the grace period seems to be over. This is LeBron’s team-or at least it was supposed to be.
MORE in MARCA