Earlier, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal shared his insights on the Lakers’ approach for the upcoming season. O’Neal suggested that at this stage in his career, LeBron James has achieved everything there is to achieve and should voluntarily take a step back, giving more opportunities to Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell.
“If I were James, at this point, having already won everything I could win, I’d quickly pass the torch to Davis,” O’Neal said. “I would rely on Davis. Note that during this time, James can still do what he does, but he doesn’t need to always have the ball, he doesn’t need to always score. At this stage, the team’s first scoring option should be Davis, and the second choice should be Russell. James’ role within the team should be like Magic Johnson’s, involving everyone and keeping the game flowing.”
However, can the Lakers still win when James isn’t a primary offensive threat? Last season, James averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game during the regular season, shooting 54.0% from the field and 41.0% from three-point range. In the playoffs, against the Denver Nuggets in five games, James averaged 27.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 8.8 assists. Clearly, James still possesses the ability to play at a high level, so new Lakers head coach J.J. Redick needs to find the right balance in the offense to accommodate the team’s talent.
Shaq: Davis and Reeves Should Be Lakers’ Top Scorers; James Doesn’t Need to Score Plenty. Author：Sports UEFA.Please indicate the source when reproduced：https://www.sportsuefa.com/basketball-headlines/shaq-davis-and-reeves-should-be-lakers-top-scorers-james-doesnt-need-to-score-plenty.html
