Over a week after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder, LeBron James has broken his silence on the series through the “Mind the Game” podcast.
LeBron James’ Lakers-Thunder Comments Should Alarm LA’s Front Office
James: Lakers ‘Out-Talented’ vs. Thunder
After reviewing what he considered a “successful season” despite the circumstances that plagued them in April, James discussed the Lakers’ fate against the Thunder with co-host Steve Nash.
“We fought and we played to the maximum ability of our team. But ultimately, if we’re being completely honest, we were ‘out-talented.’ We were not outworked. They didn’t out-physical us. They didn’t outsmart us. I feel like we were just out-talent[ed] by OKC. They just possess so much more talent. … I feel like there’s times where we had moments where we out-IQ’d them. But at the end of the day, we failed in talent.”
“You can’t get caught up in that when you’re undermanned for sure,” he concluded.
Though James’ blunt assessment of the series could easily be construed as a shot to some of his teammates, it doesn’t change the fact the Lakers (like most of the league) were at a disadvantage against the defending champions. That reality has made their offseason pursuit of such talent all the more critical.
Lakers Free Agents Who Could Return
James is one of eight free agents the Lakers will need to worry about this summer, with him and four teammates (Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard, Maxi Kleber, Jaxson Hayes) being unrestricted. Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton all have player options, though Reaves is all but confirmed to be opting out for a hefty payday.
While the team has expressed a desire to retain James and Reaves, players like Smart, Hachimura and Kennard have promising cases to come back as well. Whether it was the veteran defender taking charge on the court and in the locker room, the starter-turned-reserve embarking on a playoff run to remember, or the perennial perimeter marksman keeping his shooting touch alive in LA, those three could easily retain their roles heading into next season.
And then there are the question marks surrounding the team’s big men. Ayton’s late-season epiphany contributed to the Lakers’ success, though they could (and should) still look elsewhere for a better starting center. Likewise, his backup Hayes has said he’d “love to stay” with the Lakers, though his case is as much of a coin flip as Ayton’s.
James Once Again Puts Pressure on Lakers Brass
Although they were connected to a host of pending free agents from rival contenders—Peyton Watson, Tari Eason and Walker Kessler, among others—a May 16 report from Heavy’s Sean Deveney has tempered Lakers fans’ expectations.
“Increasingly, it looks like the massive changes fans want for the Lakers aren’t quite what the team has in mind. The plan appears to be to keep Austin Reaves, at something less than the maximum $240 million-plus, and to seek solutions at the center spot, an annual tradition in LA. Beyond that, dreams of adding restricted free agents Walker Kessler or Peyton Watson or Jalen Duren are almost certainly not happening.”
However, LeBron James’ statements should turn the tide and send a clear message to president/GM Rob Pelinka: surround him, Reaves and Doncic with the right talent, or he moves onto greener pastures after a storied eight-year tenure.
After all, James later told Nash he’d “absolutely” want to keep playing in a positive environment.
“Winning is most important because you want to be excited about going to work every day. You want to be excited about … winning the day and being around a group of guys that feel the same way and trying not to take steps backwards. … I’m not going anywhere where it’s a ‘start over at year 24’ or things of that nature. Yeah, I’m done with that.”
When it comes to making that happen, Pelinka and the Lakers are on the clock.
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