There’s no question LeBron James is a player that can transform any team into a championship contender in a moment’s notice. But if one insane stat is to be believed, his absence has given the Los Angeles Lakers a better chance of winning.
Throughout 62 games this season, the King has averaged numbers better than most guys half his age would every get. During that stretch, James is posting 25.4 points on 53 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc. He’s also notching 7.2 boards, 8.1 assists, and 1.2 steals on a nightly basis.
Meanwhile, the Purple and Gold aren’t exactly in the upper echelon of the Western Conference right now with their record of 40 wins and 32 losses. The team holds the ninth seed with a projection that they’ll have to go through the Play-In Tournament to make it to the postseason.
Furthermore, the Lakers aren’t elite on both ends of the court in James’ 21st season in the NBA. Their offense is ranked 16th out of 30 teams while their defense is 14th. However, the presence of the King and capable pieces around him have kept the team afloat in a very competitive Western Conference.
Insane Stat Claims Los Angeles Lakers Have a Better Chance of Winning Without LeBron James
Although everyone thinks that James makes the Lakers better, there’s an argument to be made otherwise. According to a recent post by StatMuse on X puts up the argument that Los Angeles is better without the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in the lineup.
“Fun fact: The Lakers have a better win% without LeBron than with LeBron this season,” StatMuse tweeted.
So far, James has missed 10 games for Los Angeles this season. In those contests, the Lakers lost four times to teams like the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Utah Jazz, and Los Angeles Clippers. On the other hand, the team won against the Milwaukee Bucks twice, Jazz, Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, and Portland Trail Blazers without the four-time NBA champion.
Whether James’s absence helped the Lakers win games or not cannot be thoroughly confirmed right now. What’s certain, though, is that the real test will come in the postseason, especially if Los Angeles enters the Play-In Tournament.
For More Great Basketball Content
Follow me on Twitter at @BeatKit22 and follow us @HardwoodHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in college and professional sports, click here!