The Los Angeles Lakers are still forced to witness the loss of LeBron James remaining a huge talking point. Any NBA team losing an iconic figure will see this level of attention, and it is far bigger than the Lakers. Draymond Green decided to bring this back into the news by addressing something head coach JJ Redick said about the team.
Redick’s comment about the Lakers having a better fit this season led to Green using his podcast to argue in defense of LeBron:
“Bron and Luka Doncic are both ball dominant players and LeBron had to learn how to play without the ball. And I ultimately don’t think it allowed for the best LeBron James so I understand what he’s saying when he says the pieces fit together better. They’ve built a team that’s heavily going to play roles with Luka having the ball and that’s been very successful for Luka in teams that he’s been on.”
Draymond made the point to claim that James suffered by allowing Doncic to run the offense as the new face of the franchise. The Lakers didn’t intend to get Luka until the Dallas Mavericks shocked the world by offering him in exchange for Anthony Davis and Max Christie.
Why Draymond Is Commenting On LeBron Lakers Situation
Green having a deep talking point about LeBron’s Lakers situation makes no sense to many fans since he’s not associated. The Golden State Warriors forward having such strong points about another team can be puzzling for those who don’t follow Draymond.
However, a long history of Green commenting on James makes it less confusing. Draymond has developed a close friendship with LeBron and goes out of his way to praise him whenever he can. Many general NBA fans make fun of Green for “glazing” his former rival from those heated Warriors vs Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Finals.
Draymond becoming a client of Rich Paul led to his friendship with James growing and becoming part of each other’s reputations. Warriors’ fans have jokingly complained about Green defending LeBron more than most of his own teammates.
Did LeBron James Sacrifice Too Much For Luka?
Green’s point is not out of line, despite sparking confusion over why he’s so invested. Doncic had to run the offense as a top five player in the league now above LeBron in the pecking order. Austin Reaves also had a breakout season to warrant James deferring even more for the first time in his career to this extent.
LeBron looked like he was still good enough to be the top option in the first-round postseason series against the Houston Rockets. Doncic and Reaves suffering injuries saw James having a great run leading the other role players to defeat a better team.
This season will see James taking a secondary role again on the Philadelphia 76ers. Younger stars Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid will likely have more shot attempts than LeBron per game. James enjoyed his role enough last season to take a similar role for a better chance to contend for one final title.
Draymond Green Says Luka Doncic & Lakers Hurt LeBron James