Ex-Laker has brutal take on team’s struggles

Nov 28, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) reacts against the Detroit Pistons in the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

One former Los Angeles Lakers player had an incredibly brutal assessment of how the current team is playing around LeBron James so far this season.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who played for the Lakers’ 2020 championship team, said he thinks James is trying to do too much to compensate for the lack of shooting around him. The veteran guard offered a damning quote about the team’s style of play and how it seems to be draining James of his enthusiasm.

“Just watching the games, it just looks like there’s no basketball over there,” Caldwell-Pope told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “It’s just playing pickup. It’s hard to watch sometimes. So from me to him, just get the team together, and I just want to see that spark in him again. I don’t think I see that spark in Bron. So, hopefully, he can get it back.”

Caldwell-Pope may have a point here. James is raising eyebrows with his willingness to shoot, and is definitely not being rewarded for it. The Lakers lack the perimeter shooting to set up the ideal spacing around James, so instead of making plays for others, he seems to be trying to do as much as possible himself.

The Lakers are well aware of their issues and have entertained some moves to try and rectify them. Ultimately, they probably cannot do it with the composition of the roster being what it is, which will make it tougher for them to shift away from the type of play KCP is describing.