3 Reason Why Luka Doncic and LeBron James Won’t Win a Championship This Season

Luka Doncic and LeBron James did everything they could in their NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, and still lost to a relatively young squad that did not have their most important player on the court.

The basketball world knows that the duo, along with Austin Reaves, is not enough, as their Los Angeles Lakers lack quality depth. That depth is necessary if they are to challenge for a championship.

That logic was thrown out of the window when they won 11 of their 13 games in November. Since most of those wins were without their oldest player, many fans felt that LeBron James‘ return was going to fuel a run to a title.

Since then, they have lost 3 of their 5 games this month, and in all of them, their opponents won by double digits. With more than a quarter of the season gone, there is no panic, as the team is still ironing out its issues.

However, their performances in this stretch have given cause for concern. After their loss to the Spurs, it seems the team might not be good enough to win a championship this time.

Lakers are still overtly dependent on Luka Doncic and LeBron James

Most of the time, the Los Angeles Lakers follow a simple plan. Let Luka Doncic dominate the ball, score as he sees fit, and then take it from there.

In the event their opponents focus their defensive strategies towards stopping him, Austin Reaves or LeBron James will take over. The latter scheme was in full display when the 4-time champion dominated their previous game.

That said, in this game against the Spurs, that dependence on their Big 3 proved to be their undoing. As they were playing without Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio-based squad chose to spread their load.

A complete team performance ensured the Lakers were never close to turning the page on them. The problem with that style of play is that the Oklahoma City Thunder has proven to be excellent at executing it.

If the Lakers continue to depend on their 3 primary scorers, they will get overrun by well-drilled team-first rosters such as the Spurs and the Thunder. That has to change.

JJ Redick has to start deploying his bench more and more

When depending too much on LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves, it does not leave enough time for some of the bench players to contribute.

That has to change if head coach JJ Redick wants to make this team championship-ready. Sure, they do use some of their players, but not all. And then, even when they do, they do not get enough minutes to make an impact.

In this game, other than Marcus Smart, who had a hot hand, defensive pest Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes, and Jake LaRavia combined played fewer minutes than LeBron James.

Other than them, Redick still had Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero, and Bronny James at hand, but chose to send them in only after the game was well and truly out of their hands.

All of those players have something to offer, but their head coach does not seem to be willing to trust them. That has to change, as a spark from one of them, either through points scored or defensive stops, could have sent the Lakers to the NBA Cup semifinals.

This trend was not just confined to this game, as it was proven in their losses to the Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics earlier this month. What is baffling is that it is not as if Redick does not have enough proof of how those players can contribute.

LeBron James and Luka Doncic could be burnt out before playoffs

During last season’s playoffs, JJ Redick ran Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves into the ground. He then blamed them for not being in championship shape.

This season, except for the 4-time league MVP, who has been struggling with injuries, the other two have spent all of their offseason getting into excellent shape. That has translated to a 2nd place run in the West. But that might not last, especially if Redick keeps playing his Big 3 for more than 35 minutes per game.

They could end up being burnt out before the playoffs come around. Unless he wants that to happen, the head coach has to expand his rotation and ensure his most important 3 are getting enough rest.

These reasons could see the Los Angeles Lakers fall out of championship contention, pushing them back by a season, where LeBron James is still healthy, Luka Doncic is motivated, and Austin Reaves has risen to an All-Star level.

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