3 Things LeBron James & Luka Doncic’s Lakers Need to Fix to Fight for a Title Come July

As LeBron James and Luka Doncic continue to fight with consistency along with their Los Angeles Lakers teammates, there are serious questions being raised about their ability to contend for a title.

Even before the season started, their roster construction led analysts to raise concerns about their depth and the lack of size, athleticism, and speed.

The team has pieces to aid the Slovenian after the 41-year-old superstar retires, but the latter would like to win one more title before he hangs up his sneakers.

Head coach JJ Redick has some leeway from criticism, especially when considering that he has not been able to field the team’s best starting five or the next best rotations, as per what he had planned.

Injuries have robbed the team of any chance to figure out how to exploit each other’s skills, but that excuse might see them miss out on potentially giving the King his fifth title.

With the trade deadline fast approaching, time is running out on the Lakers to fix their glaring holes. If they are to turn this team into a championship contender, there are a few things they have to fix.

Exploit LeBron James and Luka Doncic’s budding chemistry

At the start of the season, with LeBron James out injured, the chemistry between Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves saw the Lakers rise to second in the hotly-contested Western Conference.

Once the four-time champion returned, there was hope that his skills could help them continue their winning run. However, his lack of conditioning exposed the team.

Add to that, when Reaves got injured, the team’s lack of chemistry was evident, and their 7-6 record without him has not been a good enough indication of what the team needs.

At the same time, the growing chemistry between the team’s two best players is evident. James and Doncic have been consistently producing what they are expected to do.

It is the lack of consistency from the rest of the roster that has become a matter of concern. It is expected that Austin Reaves might return sometime during their current eight-game road trip.

But it seems JJ Redick would be wise to ease him back in off the bench, rather than thrust him back into the starting lineup that is just starting to take shape. LeBron James and Luka Doncic have something going between them.

Allow LeBron James to return to his free safety role

Last season, in his first year as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, JJ Redick asked former podcast partner LeBron James to play the free safety role.

Once that change started to come to fruition, many who were skeptical started to praise the Akron native for willingly sacrificing his playmaking duties for the betterment of the team.

This season, even though he has proved that he can play any role, some have concerns that James will drag the team if he does not revert to his old ‘free safety’ self.

Part of being in that role is that he loiters around the paint, waiting for a rebound or a steal. Some feel he is wasting the team’s defensive efforts, but at age 41, that is the most one can ask of him, especially when he plays more than 33 minutes a game.

His 4th quarter steal and dunk against the Dallas Mavericks in their latest win is proof that his ability to analyse plays and pounce on mistakes is what the Lakers need if they are to maximize his defensive presence.

On offense, they need that same role to be reversed. Just as last season, he was extremely proficient in that role, cutting across for dunks, lobs, or layups, getting past defenses into scoring positions, and much more.

If the Lakers are to continue hoodwinking opponents to wins, they need LeBron James to exploit that role to the fullest. Otherwise, Luka Doncic’s ball-hogging ways and the roster’s inconsistency could cost them dearly.

JJ Redick has to judiciously use Austin Reaves’ ability to surprise opponents

With Austin Reaves set to return, Lakers fans are worried that whatever the team has built in terms of chemistry and balance will likely again reset.

After all, his performances this season have proved that he has overtaken his mentor, LeBron James, in the scoring hierarchy. However, going back to their old ways of letting him play the same way he did with the four-time league MVP on the floor has not yielded the best results.

Rather, it would be best for the team if JJ Redick judiciously utilizes the undrafted guard’s ability to surprise opponents. Everyone knows that he is not the most athletic or the most dynamic of the lot.

But the 27-year-old has proved that he can find ways to score. If Redick pairs that with the length, defense, and breakaway abilities of the likes of James, Jake LaRavia, Rui Hachimura, or Jarred Vanderbilt, it could prove to be potent.

The idea is to go back to what works with these stars and figure out ways to counter whenever the opposition starts to slow them down.

The Lakers’ offense has been one-dimensional for most of this season, and Redick has to figure out how to mix and match with the talent at his disposal. There are a lot of problems he has to fix, but once he does, LeBron James and Luka Doncic could power them to a title.

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