The Los Angeles Lakers have made the decision that Luka Doncic will lead the team going forward. While LeBron James enters the final year of his contract, the Lakers have shifted their focus to their new, younger superstar.
While that notion might not bode well for James, an insider’s latest prediction could also be bad news for him during the season. Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report wrote that Doncic, not James, would be the one taking the last shot in close games for Los Angeles next season.
“The five-time All-Star appearing to be in terrific shape should help those legs stay fresh in the fourth quarter and a new three-year, $165 million extension only helps solidify his position at the Lakers’ new alpha,” he wrote. “James should still get his share of late-heroics (if he’s not traded), although Dončić will get most of the opportunity to add to his already incredible list of buzzer beaters.”
Last season, James had more fourth-quarter points than Doncic. He was fifth in the league with 7.2 points per fourth quarter, while Doncic was 42nd at 5.3 per fourth quarter.
Lakers In The Clutch
The Lakers went with James in the clutch more than Doncic last season. According to the NBA’s ‘clutch stats,’ which takes into account games within five points in the final five minutes, James averaged 2.6 points on 51.8% shooting. Opposingly, Doncic was only at 1.9 points on 39.5% shooting, ranking tied for 93rd.
“James actually took on a larger fourth-quarter offensive role following the All-Star break (8.5 points on 6.0 field-goal attempts, 6.6 points on 5.0 attempts before), not looking like someone who was ready to give up the crown quite yet,” Swartz added. “Dončić didn’t even take as many end-of-game shots as Austin Reaves. Expect that to change this season.”
The Lakers played in 39 ‘clutch’ games in which the score was within five in the last five minutes, the 11th most in the NBA. However, they ranked seventh in win percentage, ending victorious in 59% of the time.
James has been known to be one of the best closers in the league, especially in the postseason, but Doncic has done the same. While his fourth-quarter numbers were a bit down compared to those in the other seasons of his career, that could have been due to the mid-season change of scenery that saw him end up in Los Angeles.
Even still, the Lakers having two ‘number one’ options is pretty impressive, and having to decide between James or Doncic taking the last shot is a problem most teams would love to have.
Quick sidenote, there were a few teams on Bleacher Report’s ‘players taking the last-shot’ list that had some surprising names. Among those included are Cooper Flagg on the Dallas Mavericks, Benedict Mathurin of the Indiana Pacers, and Franz Wagner of the Orlando Magic.
LeBron James’ Historic Records
Regardless of whether he ends up being the late-game hero for the Lakers next season, James even being in the conversation for that task at 40 years old is pretty astounding. While he looks to be entering the twilight of his career, his resume proves that he’s still a good option to take an important shot down the stretch.
Just for context, here are some of James’ records that will likely never be topped in NBA history:
Most Playoff Wins
: In an article written on HoopsHype, Frank Urbina discovered the incredible statistic that James has more playoff wins than any other team since he entered the league in 2003. His 184 total playoff wins are more than the Boston Celtics‘ 144 and the Miami Heat’s 143.
James also leads the NBA in all-time playoff wins, ahead of notable Lakers and San Antonio Spurs players like Derek Fisher, Tim Duncan, Robert Horry, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Most Consecutive 10+ Point Games: In what might be one of his most underrated achievements, James has gone 1,290 consecutive regular-season games scoring at least 10 points. The streak started in 2007, and the closest current player to reach the mark was James Harden, but he was more than 800 games off. Michael Jordan had the previous record with 866 consecutive games with at least 10 points.
Most Points: Finally, and perhaps most famously, James is the NBA’s all-time leader in total points, scoring a total of 42,184 by the end of this past Lakers season. He also leads the NBA in total playoff points and the most All-Star appearances with 21.
