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With both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined due to injury for at least the next few weeks, the Los Angeles Lakers have gone from one of the NBA's hottest teams to one that looks to be in quite a bit of trouble. While they remain in third place in the Western Conference, their lead over the fourth-place Denver Nuggets has disappeared, and they have now lost two games in a row after winning 16 of their previous 18 contests.
LeBron James looked to go back to his old role as their main threat on Sunday when they played the Dallas Mavericks. He finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and 15 assists, but it wasn't enough to get his team a victory.
He may need to be his vintage self in order to get L.A. to the playoffs as the third seed and push it past the first round of the postseason. Sports personality Skip Bayless, a well-known critic of James, issued a bold challenge to the future Hall of Famer on X (formerly Twitter).
James has, in the past, carried lackluster teams deep in the playoffs, most notably as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2007 and 2018, he took Cavs squads that won a mere 50 regular-season games to the NBA Finals, although they got swept there on both occasions.
He has had the luxury of playing a somewhat diminished role this season thanks to Doncic's presence and Reaves' emergence as a bona fide star. Perhaps as a result, he will be fresh enough to pull enough of his own weight until Doncic and Reaves are able to return — if they're able to return soon enough while L.A. is still alive in the playoffs.
If James gets the Lakers to that point and therefore helps them go on an extended playoff run, it could add a little bit to his already impressive legacy.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Skip Bayless issues 'legendary' challenge for LeBron James
Continue reading...
LeBron James looked to go back to his old role as their main threat on Sunday when they played the Dallas Mavericks. He finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and 15 assists, but it wasn't enough to get his team a victory.
He may need to be his vintage self in order to get L.A. to the playoffs as the third seed and push it past the first round of the postseason. Sports personality Skip Bayless, a well-known critic of James, issued a bold challenge to the future Hall of Famer on X (formerly Twitter).
James has, in the past, carried lackluster teams deep in the playoffs, most notably as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2007 and 2018, he took Cavs squads that won a mere 50 regular-season games to the NBA Finals, although they got swept there on both occasions.
He has had the luxury of playing a somewhat diminished role this season thanks to Doncic's presence and Reaves' emergence as a bona fide star. Perhaps as a result, he will be fresh enough to pull enough of his own weight until Doncic and Reaves are able to return — if they're able to return soon enough while L.A. is still alive in the playoffs.
If James gets the Lakers to that point and therefore helps them go on an extended playoff run, it could add a little bit to his already impressive legacy.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Skip Bayless issues 'legendary' challenge for LeBron James
Continue reading...
