Beyond the Stats, Rising to the Occasion: James' Plight with the Lakers
Kobe Bryant, who works hard and is proud of the world; the gifted and reckless O'Neill; James, who dominates the game and pays attention to technical statistics. In a game in which the Lakers lost 119-135 to the Rockets, James showed his indomitable spirit, but got bogged down. Faced with such a situation, does the Lakers need to bring in outside sharpshooters?
In this game, the Lakers played unusually slowly, trailing by a huge margin of 18 points at halftime. The third quarter was even more touch-on, and the deficit widened to 30 points. For the average team, it may be early to admit defeat and enter garbage time, but James has no hesitation. As a leading figure in the league and nearing the 4,000-point milestone, James' pride does not allow him to give up easily, and he urgently needs to show his leadership style.
Seeing that the Lakers were still trailing by 30 points at the end of the third quarter of the game, this was intolerable for James. On the sidelines, he delved into technical statistics and thought deeply. Technical statistics may seem obscure to the average fan, but James knows how important they are. This is not only behind the numbers, but also the key to his ability to identify and correct problems in time.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, with the host's exclamation: "Why is Lao Zhan back again", James charged again. The Lakers once closed the gap to nearly 10 points, but unfortunately, other players buried opportunities one after another, and finally James was unable to recover and had to accept the loss. However, James was really unwilling, and after the game he set higher demands on the team.
In the interview, James said: "We need to be a better team, we need to play better to win, and we didn't do that tonight. This sentence reveals James's exhaustion, and he is no longer the all-round fighter who can win the game on his own. The help of his teammates became crucial for him, but the Lakers' current roster clearly couldn't meet James' needs.
In the difficult situation, the Lakers are faced with the choice of whether to bring in reinforcements. Foreign media proposed two sets of trade packages for the Lakers, namely Duncan Robinson and Bojan. Dunroe, who currently plays for the Heat, is a consistent 40 percent three-point shooter from three-point range, averaging 13 per game this season2 points 28 assists, shooting 2 per game8 three-pointers. His addition can improve the Lakers' outside deterrence and reduce the pressure on James and Davis.
However, to get Dunroe, the Lakers would need to pay Hachimura, Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick. That's a huge price, and once the Lakers send away a 2029 first-round pick, it means they have no turning back and can only go all out for a championship. Whether James will stay with the Lakers has also become an unknown.
Bojan, on the other hand, currently plays for the Pistons and is a prolific and efficient outside shooter from three-point range. This season averaged 20 per game4 points, 41% three-point shooting, and an average of 3 three-pointers per game. Unlike Dunroe, to get Bojan, the Lakers don't need to give up the 2029 first-round pick, but they do need to send Reaves, Schifino and Hayes.
Both trades have their pros and cons, and the Lakers must weigh the trade-offs between the future and the present. Whether to choose the stable Dunroe or the adventurous Bojan will directly affect the future development path of the Lakers. Every step on the road to a championship is a test, and the Lakers need to find the best way out of the crowd.
In this fiasco, the Lakers not only faced technical and tactical problems, but also a test of leadership and lineup matching. James' call shows his desire for the team, and the choice of reinforcements will have a direct impact on whether the Lakers can continue to rise in the future. This loss may be an opportunity for the Lakers to usher in a new chapter, but whether they can overcome the predicament still needs the Lakers to find the best answer in future decisions.