Draymond Green believes the Los Angeles Lakers will feel the heat of LeBron James‘ exit in ways that go way beyond his play on the court.
Speaking on the Draymond Green show, Green warned that the Lakers and people around the league have underestimated the weight that LeBron carries, even after 23 years in the league.
“I think, first of all, people don’t understand the weight LeBron James carries. Even after 24 years, 23 years, however long he’s been in the NBA, I still don’t think people understand the force and the weight this guy carries. From an overall standpoint, think about the economics he brings to a team. Think about the economic impact he has on a city. “
“Then there’s the basketball side of it. Anytime LeBron James is on the floor, your team has a chance to win. But you also have to account for him in a major way. Personally, I think the Lakers are going to feel that next season. Even with Luka coming in and immediately becoming the face of the organization, LeBron was still there. As long as LeBron James was there, his presence was always going to be felt. If Luka struggled, people would still point the finger at LeBron because he’s LeBron.”
“Now that he’ll be gone, I think the pressure on Luka rises. Luka is built for it. But I think the pressure on Austin Reaves rises even more. Personally, I think the Lakers organization will feel LeBron’s absence more than they realize, from both an economic standpoint and just his overall presence. Bron is such a massive force.”
“That said, they did go out and get pieces that fit around Luka. They added a lob-threat center. They’ve got wings that complement him. So I still think they’ll have a good team. At the end of the day, Luka is a generational player in his own right. Overall, I still think they’ll be a good team. But it’s definitely going to be different.”
On the court, the Lakers are fully heading into the Luka Doncic era. They have aggressively recruited in free agency around him, adding younger stars that fit his style. Austin Reaves was signed to a major extension, getting him a co-star. The Lakers are gonna be a good team, even though they might not have enough to challenge the top teams in the West. But having a generational player like Doncic will make a major difference.
But even with all that, replacing LeBron is not the same as replacing a normal star.
Anytime James was on the floor, defenses still had to load up on him. Even at 41, he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists while shooting 51.5% from the field last season. That level of production will surely be missed, but as Green pointed out, his presence will be missed more.
LeBron made every Lakers game feel bigger. They were already one of the biggest brands, but LeBron brought a global spotlight with him.
And that spotlight also bought a shield.
For years, whenever the Lakers struggled, the blame fell on LeBron’s shoulders. He was the center of every debate. Even after Doncic arrived and became the future of the franchise, LeBron was still the biggest name in the room.
But that protection is gone.
The Lakers have done a decent job preparing for this transition. They added a lob-threat center, brought in pieces that fit next to Doncic, and reshaped the roster. But Green’s warning is fair.
LeBron’s time with the Lakers bought a title, relevancy, global attention and a level of pressure that he largely absorbed himself. The new Lakers may be younger and better built around Doncic, but they are also about to find out what life feels like without the biggest safety net in basketball.
