It has been almost a month since the last time Laker fans saw their king on the court, LeBron James. Due to a groin injury suffered on Christmas Day against the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers record without James, are well below .500 without him on the court. The major reason that the team has been defeated multiple times is the Lakers are struggling to finish off a team without their fourth quarter leading scorer, LeBron. However, is it time for the general manager Rob Pelinka, to make a change.
Coming into the season, it appeared by many that James would lead the team with his suspected co-pilot Brandon Ingram. The Lakers have competed in over 45 games in the regular season already, and it seems to many that Ingram isn’t the man that would release the pressure off of LeBron’s shoulders come playoff time. It’s Kyle Kuzma!
While James has been gone, in the 12 games the Lakers have played, Ingram has only led the team in scoring twice, while Kuzma has over a handful of times. Kuzma tallied up 41 points against the Detroit Pistons, and 32 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, both in a winning effort. Ingram was expected to be great, but this season, he has moved more into a trade opportunity as many speculate that him and James on the court doesn’t mix well together.
One player that comes to mind is the starting power forward for the New Orleans Pelicans, Anthony Davis. LeBron James had dinner with Anthony Davis, which sparked rumors that maybe James is recruiting him to join the team this season. There has been speculation that Davis could be on the market and potentially accept a trade and move on from his time in New Orleans. Davis is the biggest fish in the sea in the NBA regarding trade rumors. He is currently averaging 29.4 points per game, with 13.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists. The question many Laker fanatics must be asking, “is this season the right time for a trade.” Answer: Yes!
It’s never good to wait for the unexpected to occur; if there is an opportunity that can be taken, why wait? The Lakers can make a strong push for Davis especially including Ingram in the mix. There has been speculation that the organization of Los Angeles will be able to acquire a splash brother, Klay Thompson or even possibly Kevin Durant next year and then the team can make a NBA Finals run. However, with what has transpired for the past could of games, the Lakers before weren’t willing to trade Ingram at first, but now, that may not appear to be the worst player to lose.
If James were to have Kuzma, Davis, and Javale McGee controlling the paint, it will be a difficult task to score on the Lakers. The team could make a serious push for the Larry O’Brien trophy this season instead of waiting for the inevitable to happen. So why wait when there’s an opportunity? Starting 5: Lonzo Ball, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Lebron James, Anthony Davis, Javale McGee. Has a nice ring to it.
