
LeBron James has averaged 28 points and 11 assists per game while shooting 60% from the field in his last three games.
Luka Doncic is sidelined due to a hamstring injury, while Austin Reaves is out with an oblique injury.
Broussard argues that LeBron moves the ball faster and can play off the ball, which Doncic has not yet developed, allowing James to be effective as a third option when the team is healthy.
LeBron James has stepped up as the primary playmaker for the Los Angeles Lakers while Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are injured, averaging 28 points and 11 assists in his last three games. Chris Broussard suggests James may be a better facilitator than Doncic due to his ability to play off the ball.
LeBron James is back to being the main man for the Los Angeles Lakers with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined due to hamstring and oblique injuries, respectively. In his last three games, he has averaged 28 points a game on 60% field-goal shooting while posting at least 11 assists in each contest.
He has an opportunity to be the hero and possibly lead the Lakers past the first round of the playoffs while Doncic and Reaves recover from their ailments. Chris Broussard said on Fox Sports 1's "First Things First" that James might be better as a facilitator for the Lakers than Doncic is, but with one key exception.
âObviously he moves into the Luka role of handling the ball more and distributing and running the offense,â Broussard said. âHe might do that better than Luka. ... He doesnât dominate, dribble as much as Luka so he moves the ball a little faster in my view. The thing is, Luka canât go do what LeBron did a month ago and be off the ball, Luka just has to have the ball in his hands.â
James' ability to play off the ball, something Doncic hasn't developed, at least not yet, has allowed him to throttle back and be L.A.'s third option when the team has been fully healthy. It worked well, as the team won 16 of 18 games until Doncic and Reaves got hurt in an April 2 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The onus is now on James to at least keep the Lakers alive in the postseason until both of his co-stars could potentially return. He has led a few of his teams in the past to playoff series victories when they were underdogs, and he will have the opportunity to do so again very soon.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Broussard: LeBron James runs Lakers' offense better than Luka Doncic
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