LeBron James turned 41 years old on Tuesday. But there are signs that he is starting to lose his lengthy battle with Father Time.
James is in uncharted territory in his 23rd NBA season. His 20.5 points per game average is the lowest of his legendary career; fans and analysts have shredded him for his defensive effort, and the stats don't help his case; his head coach JJ Redick curiously seemed to point to him as a cause for the Los Angeles Lakers' recent struggles.
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One anonymous NBA scout told RG.org that James is facing an inflection point in his career. The scout believes James looks "bored with the process" as a second option to Luka Doncic in Los Angeles, and that it looks "hard" for James to "summon what he's used to doing."
If he’s interested, he can still get 25 (points) and do his thing," the scout said. "But I wouldn’t say he’s impacting winning."
Earlier this month, James dropped 36 points in a 103-88 loss to the Clippers. On Dec. 7, he had arguably his best all-around performance of the season, when he notched 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a 112-108 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. The unidentified scout says that James is talented enough to produce these "highlights" even at 41 years old -- but when the Lakers "play good teams," James looks "less than human."
"I think he’s bored," the scout reiterated. "He can muster up a drive here or there. He can go for a steal and get a breakaway dunk. But he can’t finish in the lane like he used to anymore. He doesn’t finish as well against contact. He wants to shoot more 3s. If he has enough energy, he’ll sometimes have a chasedown block. But those are just highlights. He's not really impacting winning."
The Lakers host the East-leading Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night, on the occasion of James' birthday. It will give The King a chance to fire back against the criticism against a team that boasts one of the NBA's top defenses.
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