Is the Lakers eliminated because of James? James is already 40 years old

On May 7, in the first round of the 2024-2025 NBA playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers lost 1-4 to the Denver Nuggets, which is the second consecutive season that they were eliminated by the same opponent in the playoffs. After the game, the controversy over "whether the Lakers' defeat was dragged down by James" caused another stir. Objective analysis, it is obviously unfair to blame the team's failure on a 40-year-old legendary star who can still contribute 25.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game. The difficulties of this Lakers are actually the result of the interweaving of multiple factors.

###1. The cruel law of age and time

When LeBron James celebrated his 40th birthday on December 30, 2024, he had already set the record of the oldest player per game in NBA history. Compared with the performance of other superstars in history at the same age: Jordan averaged only 20 points at the age of 40, Jabbar scored below 20 points after he was 38, and Malone averaged only 18 points at the age of 39. James still maintained a shooting percentage of 54.3% in the regular season this season, and his real shooting percentage in the playoffs was as high as 61.2%. These data confirm his physical talent and self-discipline that is different from ordinary people.

But physiological laws are hard to disobey. Looking at the key playoff games in detail, James' average score in the fourth quarter dropped from 7.1 points at his peak to 4.3 points, and his defensive movement speed dropped by 12% compared to last season. The gap in the open three-pointer against the Nuggets G2 in the last moment and the lack of breakthrough in G4 in overtime all exposed the physical bottleneck. As former NBA player Perkins said: "Critics forget that we are witnessing a miracle that shouldn't have existed - a 40-year-old player bears the 30-year-old game load. "

###2. Structural flaws in lineup construction

The Lakers' management operations are debatable. In the summer of 2023, he gave up high-quality 3D players such as Caruso and Pope, and instead signed several forwards who needed to hold the ball, which led to the continued worsening of the team's space problems. This season, the Lakers ranked 24th in the league in three-point shooting percentage of 34.9%, and fell to 31.8% in the playoffs. When Davis encountered double-teams between Jokic and Gordon in the interior, the collective inaccuracy of the outside players allowed the Nuggets to unscrupulously shrink their defense. The weakness of the

is also shocking. The Lakers averaged only 18.3 points per game in the playoffs, setting a record for the worst in the playoffs in the past decade. Vincent only played three games due to injury, and Prince's form fluctuates, which forced the 39-year-old James to average 38.6 minutes per game - 2.1 more minutes than last season. In contrast, the vitality of young players such as Braun and Watson has become the key to changing the situation.

###33. The limitations of the tactical system. Coach Ham's tactical manual seems to remain in the 2019 mode of "Jam's pick-and-roll + shooter group". Data shows that the Lakers ranked third in the league in the number of singles per 100 rounds in the playoffs, but scored only 0.87 points per single. When modern basketball emphasizes multi-point transmission and dynamic offense, the Lakers still rely too much on James to create opportunities personally. Jokic once said bluntly: "We know that as long as LeBron's passing route is cut off, their offense will stagnate. "

What is even more worrying is the collapse of the defensive system. The Lakers' regular season defensive efficiency dropped from the top five in the league at the beginning of the season to 18th. When facing the Nuggets in the playoffs, their opponents used their conversion offense to score an exaggerated 132 points per 100 rounds. The problem of lack of young defensive vanguards was fully exposed in Murray and Porter's fast breaks.

###4. Rational cognition from a comparative perspective is more convincing than the performance of superstars of the same age. Kobe's true plus-minus value in retirement at the age of 38 was -2.3, Duncan transformed into a blue-collar player at the age of 39, while James still maintained a +5.8 BPM (Box Plus-Minus) this season, and his playoff PER efficiency value of 23.1 ranked first in the team. Hollinger, a well-known data analyst, pointed out: "If James' current data is placed on any other 40-year-old player, people will call it a miracle. "

But basketball is a team sport after all. When Jokic has four helpers who average 15+ per game, and when Edwards has the deepest bench in the league, it is tantamount to blame for a 40-year-old veteran to be both the core of the organization and serve as the defensive gate. The famous Barkley said it pertinently: "The problem is not LeBron, but the Lakers failed to equip him with enough firepower. "

###5. Thinking about the road ahead

The Lakers are facing difficult choices. James' $51.42 million player option is about to expire next season, and Davis's contract is also entering the final two years. If you choose to rebuild, you need to process multiple premium contracts; if you continue to strengthen, all the first round of signings before 2029 have been traded. Senior reporter Windhorst revealed: "Jenny Bass prefers to retain commercial value rather than to completely bring it back. "

Perhaps we should look at this from a more macro perspective. James was selected as the All-Star for the 20th time, entered the All-Star for the 19th time, and became the first 40,000-pointer in history. These are all reminders: instead of debating whether he should be responsible for his failure, it is better to cherish this living fossil spanning four eras. As Nuggets coach Malone said after eliminating the Lakers: "We defeated a legend who is still on the top of the league at the age of 40, which is a tribute to basketball. "

The Lakers' season is over, but the discussion about great standards will never end. When James truly retires one day, people will finally understand that it is the greatest luck for fans of this era to witness a 40-year-old player playing in the playoffs as a core identity. The success or failure of the team should never be borne by one person alone.