After leaving during the Los Angeles Lakers' Christmas Day win against the defending champion Golden State Warriors, LeBron James has been shelved for a string of games for the first time in a while. His strained groin has sidelined him for three games so far, and he will likely be out another week or two. In those three games, the Lakers went 1-2. There is a strong possibility that the Lakers lose more games prior to James’ return. However, there are two big reasons why all this might not be such a bad thing.
Giving the young players space to grow
The Lakers have had to do some identity adjustment throughout the season so far. As the year has progressed, the offense has run more and more through the hands of veteran players like LeBron and Rajon Rondo than originally intended. It has served them well in terms of winning, as the Lakers sit in the No. 7 seed at 21-16. Unfortunately, though, it hasn’t given young players like Lonzo Ball or Brandon Ingram the opportunity to take that next step and hopefully blossom into a costar for James.
Ball's minutes per game are down nearly five minutes compared to his rookie campaign. His usage rate is close to what it was last season, but some important numbers for him have dipped. Averaging 2.2 less assists, his assist percentage has dropped seven percentage points and his assist ratio is 4.4 points lower. Arguably his best skill so far in the league, Ball hasn’t been able to continue to develop his court IQ and awareness as much this year. A chance to get more experience running the floor and creating offense for his team is vital to transitioning LeBron into the off-ball role they would like as he ages.
Ingram’s season has been a tale of two lineups. Ingram has shown trouble playing alongside LeBron and has had some struggles while both are on the court. That said, the Lakers are seeing the exact opposite when James in on the bench. Per 36 minutes, Ingram is averaging 10.1 more points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.9 blocks when LeBron isn’t playing. His overall field goal percentage sees a 7.8 percentage point increase, and his 3-point percentage jumps from 18.2 percent to an astounding 55.6 percent.
Finding a way to get Ingram more comfortable and productive when they have their best player on the floor has been one of the few concerning obstacles for the Lakers throughout the season. Giving him time to work on his game with LeBron out could help this in the long run.
Kyle Kuzma has been the go-to No. 2 on the team most of this year, but giving him time to be the primary scorer can’t be understated. He will have to be relied on big time in the playoffs. Opportunities to score at a high volume are valuable for him right now in order to prepare him for the postseason.
Similarly, giving Josh Hart more looks and chances can help Los Angeles assess if he is better suited for a bigger role with the team. While he is showing promise, he hasn’t been able to make as much of an impact. Nights like his 22-point outing in their win over the Sacramento Kings are great signs that he could be a big part of their core moving forward.
Put pressure on the front office
If the Lakers lose some games while LeBron James is out, it could help their chances at obtaining another star. Losing games, especially if it looks to heavily affect their seeding, is the quickest way to get changes made. With their young players at the wheel right now, this is an important chance to showcase their potential to teams around the league. Only two games removed from ninth in the West, a losing streak, even if brief, could signal an alarm to Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka.
Anthony Davis has been obvious target for Los Angeles, and with the New Orleans Pelicans continually shifting downward in the conference standings, the likelihood that he would become available this season is growing. If young Lakers players show out and catch the eye of rival front offices, there could be a trade to be made between the Lakers and Pelicans prior to the deadline.
Even if New Orleans doesn’t budge this season in moving on from Davis, there are other names who could pop up. Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards would be the perfect type of player to plug in next to LeBron James. He would also add star power to the Lakers’ roster without gutting it of most, or all, of its young talent. John Wall’s season-ending surgery could help facilitate Beal’s departure in D.C., especially if they continue to sit well out of the playoff picture for this season.
Kemba Walker is another player who could pop up in trade rumors for Los Angeles. The Charlotte Hornets have been steady regarding their desire to re-sign him in the offseason, but if they start to slide in the standings, the idea of a soft rebuild where they bring back proven talent versus draft picks could help a deal get done.
It may only be only a total of two or three weeks that LeBron James misses with the Lakers, but it could be a very decisive few weeks for the franchise. Allowing their young guys some time to find their identity could help do the same for this iteration of the franchise. If these young players aren’t what they hoped, this could be the perfect time to cash in and build for the future. As long as they don’t allow LeBron's absence to alter their playoff hopes as they head towards the second half of the season, this could be a moment where they have little to lose, but very much to gain.
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