However, when he eventually calls it a career, we'll most likely look back at his time in Los Angeles as wasted potential.

But the Lakers' shortcomings have nothing to do with the King's play. Instead, roster mismanagement by the front office possibly threw away multiple championships.

James' tenure with the purple and gold isn't nearly a failure. The Lakers' 2020 championship says so.

That Bubble lineup was special. The group finished as the top seed in the Western Conference and only lost five games on the way to the Larry O'Brien Trophy. In the following preseason, they were the clear favorite to repeat.

Unfortunately, that ring is pushing five years old, and the franchise hasn't returned to the big stage. So, what happened in the next four seasons that prevented another run?

Coming off a shortened 2020 offseason, the Lakers were poised to go back-to-back. They started 21-6, featuring the best defense in the league. But the injury bug got to Davis and James, dropping the team in the standings. Fortunately, the duo returned to good enough health at the right time, closing the regular season with five straight wins.

After defeating Golden State in the Play-In Tournament, L.A. had the eventual West champs, Phoenix, up 2-1. But Davis went down, and the Suns took the series in six games.

If the history books had to mark when the Lakers' title window started to close, the 2021 offseason would be the obvious choice.

The Lakers panicked that summer. After the AD injury, the front office disliked the lack of competitiveness in the postseason. So, management looked to make a splash move for a star to provide greater support when there are injuries.

General manager Rob Pelinka's focus was to upgrade from Kyle Kuzma. The forward left a bad taste in fans' mouths when he couldn't step up in Davis' absence.

However, the organization made a franchise-altering move by trading Kuzma for the worst star to pair with Davis and James: Russell Westbrook.

Reportedly, L.A. had deals lined up for other big-name players, but pressure from James forced the Westbrook move. However, Pelinka is the general manager and vice president of basketball operations. He has the final say in trade matters. He should've understood Westbrook was a bad fit with the two duo, especially concerning floor spacing.

Russ' time as a Laker was disastrous. The team had a 56-74 record with him. Of course, the duo missing time didn't help, but Westbrook was one of the worst three-point shooters in the league. Missing the postseason in 2022 was a far cry from their conference dominance just two seasons prior.

The organization has spent every last resource undoing the Westbrook trade in the last year. At the 2023 deadline, they shipped Russ out in a?three-team deal?to save that season.?

Pelinka has done a decent job rebuilding an adequate supporting cast around the duo. However, he has neglected the lack of 3&D talent on the roster for years.

As a result of bringing Russ in, the Lakers forfeited essential 3&D wings from the 2020 championship. The luxury of having players like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who can hit threes consistently and guard at the point of attack, is vital to winning championships. This type of athlete is the best to put around Davis and James to maximize winning.

Possessing a talent like Alex Caruso comes with a price. But L.A.'s front office has been left with nothing but pennies and low-end draft capital to replace that skillset. And the defense has suffered dramatically.

This season's trade deadline allowed the organization to acquire a quality 3&D starter. The roster is filled with guys who can shoot or defend, no in-between for 30 minutes a night. Especially with Jarred Vanderbilt's health in question, the team has no answer for containing opposing permitter threats.

To everyone's surprise, the Lakers stayed put. Pelinka believed any available move at the deadline wasn't worth giving up the little assets they had. Instead, the organization plans to push for?a star player via trade in the offseason.?

L.A. didn't 'punt' on the season per se, but whatever improvements to be made in the coming offseason wouldn't be as impactful as Pelinka may think. James and Davis can't afford to wait till next season.

James turns 40 years old next season in December. It would be hard to compete for a championship when one of your most important pieces is at that age.

And for Davis, he's playing his best ball as a Laker. There's no guarantee he will continue to be this healthy next season. They needed Pelinka to go all in at the deadline to inch the team closer to contention when their window is still cracked.

The Lakers did do at least something recently. A few days after the deadline, the Lakers picked up former Brooklyn Net guard Spencer Dinwiddie fresh off the buyout market. Dinwiddie's not a bad player by any means. He can add scoring value off the bench.

But Pelinka's decision to wait and sign him instead of attacking the deadline is another example of him falling in love with castaway cheap ball handlers instead of solid 3&D rotational pieces.

It's absolutely inexcusable that the Lakers have been playing around .500 basketball since 2021. Champion contention should be consistent when an organization has two top 10 players.

James' L.A. arc isn't a failure. Unfortunately, the Lakers mismanaged the LeBron era by prioritized the wrong type of supporting cast around him when the 2020 championship laid out a blueprint.

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The NBA's first 2023-24 All-Star fan voting return revealed Young as the third-ranked Eastern Conference guard. However, Damian Lillard has almost 100 thousand more votes despite the Atlanta Hawks guard having better stats.

One could say the vote differential could be due to the Milwaukee Bucks having 10 more wins than the Hawks. But team record isn't a huge driving force in voting. In 2019-20, Young received half a million more votes than Lillard despite the Hawks owning one of the worst records.

While Ice Trae is still a popular guard, it's clear on social media that fans don't value his game as much as they once did. Interestingly, Young's career path is shockingly similar to Kyler Murray of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals.

The two playmakers were the faces of Oklahoma sports near the end of the 2010s. Young led Division-I basketball in points and assists in his final season. And Murray was awarded the prestigious Heisman Trophy in 2018. After dominating college, both Sooners were selected in the top five in their drafts to immediately carry historically losing franchises.

They share the same flaws: undersized and tend to turn the ball over due to an unorthodox style of play. But, the negatives in their games didn't seem to matter early in their careers. In 2019, Murray was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Young was selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

By 2021, most fans regarded them as one of the best at their positions. Murray led the Cardinals to the playoffs for the first time in half a decade despite playing in a division that featured two NFC Championship teams. And Young took the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals without an All-Star teammate.

Unfortunately, bad playoff games, injuries, and poor team records in the last two seasons have changed how most value the two athletes. Now, they're seen as losing players who may not be the faces of their franchises.

But it's not like they've regressed.

In his seventh game back from an ACL injury, Murray proved he was still worth the number one overall pick. He threw for three touchdowns in a win at Philadelphia.

Young's putting together one of the most elite playmaking seasons in recent memory. He's averaging the seventh-highest points per game (28.2) and the second-highest assists per game (11.3) on about 44% field goal shooting. His 22 double-doubles are the fourth-best in the East.

Plus, he averages the most points in the fourth quarter amongst players who've played at least 15 games (8.6). His ability to shoot from the parking lot at a high level and create easy opportunites for teammates has the Hawks with the sixth-best offensive raiting (119.5).

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton is averaging nearly four fewer points than Young and more than one assist. However, the national conversation is much more in favor of Haliburton today. With the In-Season Tournament runner-up seen as the league's new rising playmaker, Young's dominance flies under the radar. Did you know Young dropped at least 30 points and 10 assists in seven straight games this season? No, but you most likely saw posts about Haliburton's impressive 20 & 20 game.

December was arguably the best stretch of Young's career. He recorded 30.4 PPG and 12.2 APG. You have to go back to the preseason to find a game where he finished with fewer than seven assists. All while NBA fans outside of Atlanta aren't paying attention. Those same critics labeled him inefficient after a few rough outings in playoff losses. But conveniently, they didn't notice his 47.5/42.2/84.4 shooting splits last month.

People say, "New year, new me." But Young's carried his end-of-year momentum into 2024. Last Wednesday, he put on a playmaking clinic against Oklahoma City's top-five defense. He finished with an efficient 24 points and 11 dimes. The victorious performance included a sweet lob pass to teammate Onyeka Okongwu to go up 16 in the fourth quarter.

If there were ever a perfect NFL & NBA comparison, it would be that Trae Young is the Kyler Murray of the NBA. The two climbed to the top of their positional rankings before poor team success buried them from the public eye. Fortunately, Young can retake some lost national spotlight tonight in a matchup against Haliburton. An incredible night from Young would make fans rethink their view of him.

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The Los Angeles Clippers, on the other hand, kept an eye on the 76er guard throughout the summer. Three games into the 2023 season, the Clippers sent a collection of role players and draft picks for the reigning assist leader.

The Clippers had a good reason to make the trade. The duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have yet to provide the franchise its first championship due to injuries or playoff meltdowns. Harden would give the team additional all-star-level help for the core's possible last season together.

However, the new roster got off to the worst start possible. They lost six straight games immediately after the acquisition, falling to 3-7 overall.

The offense didn't have an ounce of rhythm. There was only one basketball to accommodate ball-dominant starters.

In particular, the backcourt pairing of Harden and Russell Westbrook noticeably failed to coexist. In his 111-97 debut loss to the New York Knicks, the former teammates logged 31 minutes each. However, they struggled to establish the team's primary facilitator when on the court together. With no floor general, the starting group took turns creating their own shot. The offense's flow suffered as a result.

Los Angeles finished the game with a season-high 22 turnovers, more than their assists (21). Westbrook contributed five turnovers of his own.

But head coach Ty Lue had faith in his team smoothing the bumps despite the alarming start. After their sixth-straight defeat, Lue asked Westbrook to come off the bench. And it's working.

Los Angeles has a 13-3 record with Harden as the starting point guard. The squad's eight victories in a row is the longest active winning streak in the league.

Flash-forward 40 days from losing to the Knicks, the Clippers beat New York 144-122. The offense showed an efficient flow with Harden at the helm and Russ playing just 15 minutes. The team produced 36 assists and only eight turnovers. Harden was responsible for 12 of those assists, along with 10 points.

The future Hall of Famer may not be the same scorer he was in Houston, but the 34-year-old is still one of the league's best playmakers. He led the association with 10.7 APG last season. Since becoming the point guard, he's been creating easy looks for teammates while limiting his shot attempts.

Leonard has immensely benefited from Harden's play creation. His efficiency plummeted in early November in the previous dysfunctional offense. The Claw averaged 22.6 PPG on 48.2/36.5/84.4 shooting splits last month. With Harden running the show this month, he's progressed to 29.3 PPG on an insane 62.3/54.8/95.1 split.

During the first 16 days post-Harden trade, the team ranked 28th in assist-to-turnover ratio. In the first 16 days of December, their assist-to-turnover ratio ranked sixth.

Not only did the Clippers' starting unit need time to gel together, but Harden also needed more reps himself. His previous game before his debut was Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. That was in May. After the loss to the Knicks, he attributed his lack of shape to not being a full participant in training camp or preseason.

It's safe to say after last night's 151-127 win in Indiana, Harden is back to the 20 & 10 guy he was last season. In Los Angeles' first five losses with the Beard, he averaged 15 points and 4.2 assists per game. In December, he is averaging 20.1 points and nearly ten assists. Last week, he put on a vintage 28-point and 15-assist performance in a win without George against the Golden State Warriors.

The Clippers don't need Harden to be the game's leading scoring like he was last night. Although, he still left Indiana with nine assists. But if he can turn back to his old self in a given matchup, the team is an obvious contender.

Harden's Clippers have arrived at 16-10, currently the sixth-best record in the Western Conference. The offense has shown no sign of slowing down with him, winning five of their last six by double digits. We will remember Coach Lue's decision as season-saving.

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The Bucks are currently 13-6, winning three of the last four games. It's true that all wins look the same in the standings. However, given the competition, their recent way of winning is concerning.

Milwaukee entered the 2023 season slightly behind the Boston Celtics as the NBA championship favorite. But squeezing out wins against some of the league's worst is inexcusable.

Last Friday, the Bucks were 13.5-point favorites against the then 2-12 Washington Wizards. The Bucks won by three. Two days later, the then 4-11 Portland Trail Blazers came to town as 12.5-point underdogs. The Bucks needed to pull off a 26-point comeback to win by six.

The following two games are even more alarming. The 4.5-point favored Bucks visited a Miami Heat team without its best scorers, Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro. Milwaukee trailed for most of the fourth quarter but won by seven. Once again facing a team without its two stars, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, the 10.5-point favored Bucks lost by seven in OT to the Bulls.

Any team can win on a given night because basketball is a make-or-miss sport. So, the Bucks' loss to the dysfunctional 6-11 Bulls would not be as big of a deal in a vacuum. However, four-straight games playing bad or injured opponents down to the wire is concerning.

So, what's wrong with Milwaukee? The team no longer has one of the league's premier defensive units.

From the 2018 to 2022 seasons, the Bucks's defensive rating ranked 1st, 1st, 9th, 14th, and 4th in the league. In 2023, they have the 20th-best rating.

When the Bucks shocked the league by trading for superstar Damian Lillard, the team sacrificed their perimeter defense. The deal included shipping out three-time All-Defensive First-Team guard Jrue Holiday. Holiday held down opposing perimeter players for the Bucks. Now, he's in Boston.

The Bucks have zero defensive talent on the outside. Lillard is a liability in the pick and role. Offseason pickup Malik Beasley looks lost whenever on an island. And Kris Middleton is having his worst season regarding defense rating.

The Wizards are awful. But the Bucks allowed an embarrasing 70 combined points from a Jordan Poole, Tyus Jones, and Kyle Kuzma trio.

In place of injured Tyler Herro, Miami's Josh Richardson started alongside Kyle Lowry against Milwaukee. Before the match, Richardson and Lowry averaged around eight points per game on low efficiency. The Bucks gave up an efficient 41 points to that backcourt.

Last night, Chicago's Nikola Vucevic had his way in the paint, dropping 29 points. The last time the big man scored at least 20 points was against who else but the Bucks over two weeks ago.

The Bucks shouldn't hit the panic button because they're the third seed in the Eastern Conference. The franchise can thank the greatness of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard for the success.

The duo has combined for at least 60 points in five of their last seven games. The Bucks lost the two contests the duo fell short.

The 60-point threshold seems like the Bucks' only way to win. Without Dame in an early November matchup in Indiana, Giannis had 54 points himself. But the Bucks lost by two, surrendering 55 total points to the Pacers starting backcourt.

Sometimes, Dame and Giannis recording more than 60 total points isn't enough. In the particular game against Washington, the Bucks needed 35-year-old Brook Lopez to turn back the clock by tying his career-high of 39 points.

Still, the Bucks are a great team. With a duo as excellent offensively as Dame and Giannis, the team should win most games. However, defensive issues are holding them back from being the near-championship favorite, as projected in the preseason.

People don't say "defense wins championships" for no reason. Only one Finals winner in the last 43 years had a defensive rating ranked 20th or below: the 2000-2001 Los Angeles Lakers. Shaq and Kobe combined for nearly 60 points a night to hide the Lakers' inabilites.

If Milwaukee doesn't make a move at the trade deadline for a perimeter defender, the Bucks' duo should prepare themselves to handle a historic workload. If not, they'll continue to find themselves in games like the recent ones.

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Davis is a confusing talent. The league's blocks-per-game leader (3.3) is by far the best defender on the planet. Plus, he ranks first in many offensive metrics from the post. If you were to count on your fingers the number of players better than him when he's on, you would have many fingers left. Most would say the big man is better than James at their best.

Unfortunately, AD's offensive production is more up and down than a roller coaster. In the Lakers' first meeting with the Sacramento Kings, the former Kentucky Wildcat scored 30 points and hauled 16 rebounds. In the second match, he failed to score double-digit points or boards.

The Lakers extended Davis through the 2027-28 season with the richest annual salary for a reason: to take the number one option role from James. However, Davis' unpredictable production has forced the Lakers to continue to rely on James despite his age.

Father Time must have made an exception for James. He is averaging 26.4/8.2/6.5 on a ridiculous 58.6/39.7/69.1 shooting split. Davis has some catching up if he wants to be the man. 22/11.7/3.3 on 53/30/86.3 shooting splits is great, but not enough to be the best player on the Lakers.

Everyone agreed that James would still be Lakers' best distributor. But not many foresaw him continuing as the LakeShow's primary scorer at 38 years old. In last night's 105-104 win against the Houston Rockets, James dropped a season-high 37 points on an extremely efficient 74 FG%. Davis's 27 points was the game's 2nd-highest scorer, but foul trouble removed him from big spots.

The offensive gap between the duo was more apparent in last Friday's 107-95 win in Portland. James tallied 35 points, doubling Davis' 16.

Can you believe that James has scored 28 points or more six times this month? What you actually can't believe is that Davis has failed to score more than 20 points five times this month. The Brow plays exceptional defense and is capable of star-level offense, but James never reaches the same offensive lows as his partner. The Lakers know what to expect from James on a nightly basis, but crosses its' fingers with the big man.

The Lakers' early season story has been that the squad is not even functional when James is off the court. He had a 25.6 +/- net per 100 possessions in his first 12 games. Without the King on the floor, the Laker offense cannot move the ball in the half-court or push in transition.

It's not like the Lakers don't have the personnel to be fine without James running the show. But Davis' inconsistent offensive aggression begs the opponent to go on a run. James subbed out with 4:29 left in the first quarter while up 13 points in Portland. The Blazers looked utterly outmatched but found life on a 15-4 run in following six minutes. Davis was scoreless during the attack.

What ultimately separates James from Davis is James' ability to close games. The Clutch Player of the Year award could find its way amongst James' stacked trophy case because he's been the king of the fourth quarter. He's averaging a league-leading 9.2 points per fourth quarter on 66.1 FG%.

In the Lakers' last two contests, the team needed to pull away in final quarter with Davis on the bench in foul trouble. That might have been a problem for most players, but not for James.

James scored 14 fourth-quarter points against the Rockets, including the game-winning free throw. Davis put up a donut hole in the quarter's points column.

To close out the Blazers, James put on an offensive masterclass. No one in the building could stop the man from scoring or assisting on 23 of 25 Laker points in the 4th. Flashbacks had to have hit Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups. James scored the Cleveland Cavaliers' last 25 points to win Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals against Billups' Detroit Pistons. 16 years later, James still owns the final quarter.

On Tuesday, the Lakers host the 4-9 Utah Jazz. The opportunity is there for Davis to silence his haters by proving some consistency. A 30-point and 12-rebound game would be ideal. But another underwhelming offensive night would further prove why LeBron is still the Lakers' best player.

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