Getty LeBron James with Draymond Green.
The season may not have gone as planned for LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers but he still did enough to get named second-team All-NBA. It was his 17th time being named to an All-NBA, which is a league record. Prior to spraining his ankle halfway through the season, he was on pace to be an MVP candidate and an easy selection for first-team All-NBA.
Regardless, it was a major achievement for him to get named to an All-NBA team at the age of 36-years-old. After his early playoff exit this season, many are ready to write off LeBron as the best player in the NBA. Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green took note of the superstar’s achievement and brought up the “Washed King” moniker that LeBron used frequently last season. The Lakers star responded and took a shot at his doubters.
There’s no doubt the season ended in disappointment for the future Hall of Famer. He’s already hinted at extra motivation to have “vengeance” next season. It looks like the “Washed King” moniker will be making a comeback.
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Can LeBron Lead a Lakers Comeback Next Season?
The last time LeBron had a season end early with the Lakers, he followed it up with an MVP-level season and a championship run. With the way things ended for the team this season, there’s a ton of extra motivation to have a big season. What is going to be really important for Los Angeles going forward is health.
The Lakers looked great to start the season and started off 21-6. From there, Anthony Davis and LeBron both missed a lot of games due to injury. Los Angeles found themselves up 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs against the Phoenix Suns until Davis got injured again. Once he got hurt, the team dropped the next three games and were knocked out. Normally, LeBron would be equipped to lead his team to at least one win without his superstar teammate but it was clear that he wasn’t 100% during the series.
At his age, it’s hard to know if he can still carry a team to a championship. It’s possible that he does come back with a vengeance next season and leads the Lakers to a deep playoff run but he won’t be able to do it without Davis being healthy.
Anthony Davis Is the Wild Card
As great as LeBron has been throughout his career, he needs a superstar teammate playing at a high level if he hopes to win another title. There are just too many great teams out there. When healthy, Davis is arguably a top-five player in the NBA. The problem is that he has a hard time staying healthy.
Last season, the big man got a few months off in the middle of the season before the playoffs due to the pandemic. That’s not likely to happen again. Davis needs to show a commitment to getting his body in the best shape possible heading into the season and prove that he can stay healthy. If next season ends with Davis being hurt again, the Lakers may need to rethink their approach to the roster.
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