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To say that the Los Angeles Lakers have had a rough start to their season would be a complete understatement. For the most part, LeBron James has been sidelined due to various injuries and the general belief is that his absence has been the main reason behind the Lakers' struggles early on.
LeBron still is not 100 percent healthy right now. It is clear that the Lakers superstar is still dealing with a few minor knocks here and there which could explain why he has yet to reach top form this season. Then again, at this point in his career, it's actually not absurd to think that Father Time is already creeping up on the great LeBron James. One particular NBA scout was able to watch LeBron play live recently and he seems to firmly believe in this notion. As a matter of fact, he thinks that the end is near for the four-time NBA champion:
“He's still elite, an All-Star and all that, but not the best player in the league anymore,” one Western Conference scout told Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report. “He's still dominant, but Father Time is showing. He still can't be stopped, but he can't do it for long periods of time anymore.”
LeBron is turning 37 this year and he's already in his 19th season in the league. He's been playing at an elite level for so many years and somehow, he's been able to sustain his status as one of, if not the league's best player for so long. This serves as a clear testament to not only the fact that the Lakers star is a generational talent, but that he's also consistently put in a lot of work to ensure his longevity. At this point, however, it just feels like the curtain is slowly closing on what has been nothing short of an iconic career.
“He's finding new ways to load-manage himself when he's on the court. He takes a lot of plays off for many reasons, either mad at his teammates or doesn't back down the floor. He'll attack the rim, fall down and take forever to get up wanting a foul call,” the scout told B/R.
For some reason, LeBron does appear to be a bit more irritable on the court these days. He has had a reputation for complaining to game officials on occasion, but this season, this habit appears to be more pronounced. This could very well stem from all the frustration that is currently surrounding the underachieving Lakers, but as the scout implies, this could also be LeBron's way of taking a breather during games. Arguably for the first time in his career, fatigue is becoming a real issue for the four-time MVP—and we're just a quarter of the way through the regular season.
The big problem the Lakers have right now is that they rely too heavily on LeBron. Unfortunately, they have no other choice. This new-look Lakers squad has yet to find a strong sense of chemistry and this has led to LBJ taking on a messiah-like role for the squad. Can he still handle this type of responsibility? LeBron James from five years ago was definitely capable of carrying an entire team on his broad shoulders but now at 37, it just doesn't seem to be the case.
“I don't think it would benefit anyone if he was playing 40 minutes per night every night, he'll break down, which could be what we're seeing. He's losing athleticism, speed, burst, explosion, but that's all Father Time.
“LeBron's a bad GM. Russ is not a good fit there. He doesn't need an older roster around him. They still need LeBron to do everything—not a good recipe for this stage of his career,” the scout told B/R.
At the end of the day, LeBron can still absolutely prove all his critics wrong. He's done it in the past and it would be foolish to count him out right now. LeBron is the type who thrives under pressure and these are exactly the types of situations wherein he is able to show his mettle. We've all doubted him so many times in the past but somehow, he's always able to come out on top.
Does LeBron James still have enough gas in the tank to make one final, meaningful run for the Los Angeles Lakers? Or is his fairy tale about to come to a bitter end? Right now, we can only wait and see.
