Rich Paul Drops Blunt Truth on Lakers ‘Better Without LeBron’ Talk

One of the lingering conversations that has followed the Los Angeles Lakers throughout much of the season has been their play without star forward LeBron James.

This topic gained even more attention in recent weeks, particularly after James missed time earlier this month and the Lakers still managed to continue their upward trend.

In fact, Los Angeles improved to a 10-2 record this season when the four-time champion is out of the lineup, and it’s only Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves leading the charge.

It’s created a strong discourse that the Lakers are better without James, fueled by the belief that the team’s offense flows more smoothly and that the overall defense has taken a step up.

Rich Paul Fires Back at Growing Lakers Trend Involving LeBron James

During the most recent episode of the “Game Over” podcast, Rich Paul shot down the notion that any team is better without James on the floor.

“I hate to talk about the Lakers, but you have to,” Paul said. “But you hear all the nonsense about the team being better without LeBron. I’ve never seen a team in my life that would be better without LeBron James. Not this one either.”

James has long been an anchor of the Lakers’ success since joining the franchise. His importance in the pecking order for offensive production may have dropped a notch or two, but he remains a highly important factor in the team’s identity.

In his 23rd campaign, James is still producing at a remarkable level, averaging 21.2 points, 6.9 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 31.1 percent from beyond the arc.

His numbers may be dipped a little, but it isn’t without reason, as Doncic is now the team’s primary offensive factor as the true No.1 option. Meanwhile, Reaves has taken another step up in his scoring production as he’s averaging a career-high 23.8 points on 49.6 percent shooting from the floor and 36.9 percent from 3-point range.

Paul mentioned that James had to adjust to his role this season.

“I think it’s more so about figuring it out, and sometimes it takes you longer than not because for a guy that’s been on the ball so long, how do you play him off the ball?”

This element alone puts James in a position to take on a lesser role offensively as a scorer and ball-handler, but it doesn’t minimize his importance to the team’s overall success.

Los Angeles needs his scoring and overall playmaking to make them a more dangerous team offensively, especially with Reaves now playing at an All-Star level.

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