Lakers’ JJ Redick praises LeBron James for $218M sacrifice to Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Los Angeles Lakers have won four straight games and seem to be finding their rhythm. For a while, there were serious concerns surrounding the team, but with the regular season winding down, the Lakers are emerging as the contending squad LeBron James envisioned since the summer.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Rich Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”
The only downside has been that Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic, and James sometimes struggle to click together.
“That doesn’t sound radical. And based on eye test alone, it feels like a safe assumption. But so far, the data doesn’t really back that up. Non-five-player lineup data is never an exact science, so keep that in mind, but in the 316 minutes LA’s Big 3 have played together, it’s their 109.4 offensive rating that stands out. That mark would rank 29th in the NBA. Meanwhile, the team’s defensive rating of 110.5 with all three on the court would be a top-five mark in the league,” Lake Show Life’s Quinn Everts wrote.
After the Lakers’ Thursday win, head coach JJ Redick praised James for the changes he has made this season.
“He wants to do everything possible to help this team win. He understands the importance of making sure Luka and AR can be at their best…It speaks a lot to how much he cares about this team and his teammates and how much he wants to win,” Redick said.
The Lakers’ Big Three may be coming together at the right time. Reaves and Doncic have been performing exceptionally well together, but the same consistency hasn’t always been seen when James is added.
Los Angeles has tasked James with adjusting his game to complement Doncic and Reaves, and the veteran has done exactly what was asked—even if it has taken some time to get it right.