The Los Angeles Lakers entered the 2018-2019 season with playoff expectations. A roster built around a $154 investment in LeBron James was meant to finally end the team's playoff drought. Instead, injuries, botched front office moves, and horrid defense have virtually torpedoed any hopes of a postseason berth. Even James struggled at times this season, as evidenced by the groin injury he suffered in December.
Los Angeles heads into the weekend sitting 6.5 games out of the final playoff spot at 30-35. Injuries to Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball leave little hope for the team to come together down the stretch. James just came back from the worst injury of his career. The Lakers have to think about the long-term future of the roster. It's time to shut James down and get the house in order for 2019-2020.
James is still elite
I don't buy the argument from writers like Yahoo Sports!' Seerat Sohi that James is no longer the “best, most durable player in the world.” There are cases to make about James in his first season with the Lakers, but Sohi gives no real argument other than basically saying he's getting old. James has been relatively healthy throughout his career, more so than many other stars in the game, including Stephen Curry. It's ridiculous to make the durability argument over one injury.
James's numbers currently fall in line with his career stats. He averaged 27.1 points per game (PPG) in 47 games entering March 8, which is only .1 PPG lower than his career average. His rebounds (8.6) and assists per game (8.0) are higher than his lifetime averages. James's other important stats remain similar to his career averages in almost every category except for free throw percentage, which dropped from 74% to 66% this season.
The numbers don't lie. James still performs to the same standard as he always has. Sohi misses the mark when it comes to be James and the Lakers. It's not that he isn't still the best. Instead, she fails to look at the roster built around James and the coaching staff itself.
Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka put together an imbalanced roster that wasn't compatible with James. Furthermore, head coach Luke Walton has proven to be a poor fit for the young talent available. The season is a wash. If the Lakers want to get the most out of James long-term, it makes sense to sit him for the rest of the year. He's still elite, but a major injury could steal his remaining time as one of the best in the blink of an eye.
Play it smart
The Lakers still have some hope of making the playoffs. Yet they wouldn't last long if they got in. Sooner or later, James's skills will diminish. The human body is like the engine of a car. The more mileage on the engine, the greater chance of a breakdown. James is getting older. He's still among the best in the league, but if the Lakers want to keep him that way, he needs rest.
There is absolutely no reason to play James right now. Playoff hopes are low, the roster will be turned over in the offseason, and the Lakers need him healthy long-term. Sit him down. There are plenty of young players on the roster that need minutes. How else are the Lakers supposed to know what they have entering the summer? Get these guys on the court and see what they can do without worrying about sharing minutes with James. Play it smart.
Start playing for the future. The Lakers are a couple free agent moves away from being a serious contender. There's no need to risk that by putting James's health on the line for a lost season.
The unofficial tank
There is another reason to sit James: the draft. No, I'm not advocating the Lakers purposely lose every game. The team should lay it on the line every time they take the court. However, missing the playoffs and falling down the Western Conference standings does open the door to a higher first round draft pick. The Lakers need more talent or draft capital, depending on their offseason plans. It makes no sense to risk your star playing out the string for a lost cause. The only thing that could result from keeping James on the court is a worse position in the draft or an injury.
The Lakers are a mess. However, there are pieces on the roster to build around. They would be fools to risk their biggest star with the offseason looming. Sit James and live to fight another day.
Believe it or not, the future is bright with the right moves in Los Angeles. The Lakers need to recognize that and cut their losses on the 2018-2019 season. Sit LeBron James and move forward. It's the only way to go. Protect King James for another day.
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