The Los Angeles Lakers are trying to figure out ways on how to win without their superstar LeBron James.
LeBron James has not played for the Purple and Gold since suffering from a groin injury in the third quarter of their Christmas Day game against the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers have lost five of their last seven games without James.
Los Angeles tried to rely on their young core, particularly Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, during that stretch. However, they have gotten inconsistent results from the two former second overall picks.
When asked by ESPN's Dave McMenamin about the youngsters' recent struggles, LeBron compared it to the situation of his former teammates in Cleveland, when he decided to rejoin the Cavaliers in 2014.
“Zo and B.I., they're very, very quiet,” James said. “Very quiet. They more just want to play. Kyrie and Dion were a little more outspoken, as people saw, before I got there and when I got there. They were more outspoken about what they want, what they don't like.
“So you just have to learn personalities and see how you can get the most out of them.”
When James returned to Cleveland, he also had to learn how to deal with young guys. He was teammates with two promising players in Kyrie Irving, Cavs' first overall pick in 2011, and Dion Waiters, picked fourth by the Wine and Gold in 2012.
LeBron acknowledges the challenge of developing the young talent, and while he has stated on several occasions that he isn't a very patient person, James also made it clear that he understands where the Lakers were when he joined them. He even emphasized his commitment to help the team win.
There's still no timetable for James' return, so it's up to Ball, Ingram, and fellow youngsters Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart to figure out a way to win. So far, they are doing a poor job at it.
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