For the greater part of two decades, LeBron James has held the title of NBA's best player, combining his superhuman physical talent with tremendous cerebral intelligence and selfless play.
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Few players have realistically challenged James' place atop the NBA throne, from winning back-to-back MVPs with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2009 and 2010, to reaching his apex while winning two titles and an additional pair of MVPs with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013, to continuing his dominance by winning championships with the Cavs and Los Angeles Lakers.
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Until now.
While age and injuries have taken their toll in recent years, this may be the first time we can confidently say that James is no longer the best player in the NBA, a run that arguably began in 2007 when he dismantled a championship-winning Detroit Pistons roster and led a mediocre Cavaliers team to the Finals.
"He's still exceptional, an All-Star and all that, but he's not the best player in the league anymore," a Western Conference scout told Bleacher Report after watching James play this week. "He's still in charge, but Father Time is catching up with him. He cannot be stopped, yet he can no longer do so for lengthy periods of time."
Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Stephen Curry have all improved their seasons this year. Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid are also on the verge of overtaking James.
For James, this is a weird, new reality. He's no longer the centre of the NBA universe. As they adjust to life with Russell Westbrook and a flurry of veteran free-agent signings, the Lakers are merely 14-13.Even with James, L.A. is 9-6.
James has shifted rosters a lot as he's moved from team to team, but this newest retooling could be his most ambitious undertaking yet, given his age and mileage. On Dec. 30, the four-time MVP will be 37, and he will be in his 19th season. In NBA history, only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone have spent more time on the floor (including regular and postseason) than James.
He, like the rest of the NBA, is a big fan of the long ball. This season, he's making a career-high 7.9 three-point attempts, accounting for slightly under 40% of his total shots. His average shot distance increased from 9.6 feet six years ago to 15.0 feet this season, the longest in his 19 seasons. Spotting up for three is also a smart approach to minimise future deterioration, since it poses considerably less physical danger than driving on Embiid, Rudy Gobert, or others.
More catch-and-shoot opportunities for James might really assist the Lakers. This season, he's great off the catch (42.6 percent on 3.6 attempts per game), but he's terrible at creating outside opportunities for himself (28.8 percent on 3.9 attempts).
The Lakers' and head coach Frank Vogel's challenge is to keep James healthy. Ascertain that he matures gracefully. After two decades of heavy use, I hope he doesn't tumble over a cliff.
Despite the additions of Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis, James continues to lead the Lakers in average minutes, scoring, and usage, which does not bode well for his future seasons.
As a result of his extended responsibilities, James has honed his load management skills during games, which he's had to accomplish while sleeping an average of 36.7 minutes each night, his highest total since 2017-18.
"I don't think it would help anyone if he played 40 minutes every night; he'd burn out, which is maybe what we're witnessing. He's losing his agility, speed, burst, and explosion, but that's all due to the passage of time."
Of all, the goal of dealing for Westbrook was to add another ball-handling superstar who could theoretically make life easier for James by taking on some playmaking and scoring duties, even if the fit was iffy.
With Westbrook on board, James' minutes have increased, but his usage has reduced, dropping to 29.4 percent, his lowest since his rookie season. When the two are on the court together, James' usage reduces to 28.0 percent, compared to 30.3 percent when he is alone.
This alliance has been beneficial to James' longevity, but not to the success of the Lakers. When James and Westbrook are on the floor together this season, the Lakers have a net rating of plus-2.4. This rating rises to plus-4.5 when James is on the court and Westbrook is not.
It's fine if James doesn't have the same dominance as a lead ball-handler who lays his head down and drives play after play like he used to. He can help the Lakers in a variety of ways, including as a floor-spacing power forward, a facilitator from the elbows (where he's shooting 85.7 percent), and a roll man near to the basket.
Even if Antetokounmpo, Durant, or Jokic are the best players in the NBA, James can still be an All-Star for a few more seasons, which is something that should be very important to him.
We've had the good fortune of witnessing James dominate the NBA for so long that not seeing him at the pinnacle has been weird to say the least. He's still a top-five talent in the league, and if the Lakers can better control his minutes and use on the court, he may stay there.