Anthony Davis is out so the Lakers need LeBron James who isn’t unrealistic

Even before the more alarming news about Anthony Davis was made public, Lakers’ biggest question revolved around the weight LeBron James is carrying and if it’s fair to ask more of him.

That’s it. Davis’ long-term status has gotten murkier because of the stress injury in his foot James and the Lakers are at a crossroads.

James, predictably, wants help. Even though Davis was playing some the most impressive basketball of his career it did not help the Lakers achieve mediocre status within the West.

So much of the best-case scenario has unfolded for the Lakers: Davis has seemingly taken the mantle of the Lakers’ best player, a two-way force that’s consistent and dominant. Darvin Ham has proven to be a solid and inspirational head coach. Russell Westbrook He is a great example of what it means to be a player on the bench.

Even in the best case scenario, it is nothing.

It must be sobering to Jeanie Buss or Rob Pelinka.

Now that Davis is out for the foreseeable future and even longer, it’ll place more of the onus on James to keep things afloat — if that’s the term one can use when talking about a team that’s 13th in the West and behind the Oklahoma City Thunder In the standings.

James used to be the one-man stimulus package. There was a time where you could put James on the floor and align him with the used parts from Fred and Lamont Sanford’s garage and feel like he’d make the best of it.

When referencing another prominent player, an NBA executive told Yahoo Sports, “[Player] influences winning but doesn’t drive it.”

James at his apex, or even near it, could best be described by this last line. James was the greatest player to win in NBA history. It doesn’t mean he’s the best or greatest player; it simply implies a team’s floor is raised to its highest point by having him around.

The most important drivers of winning are now Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic Kevin Durant. Simply having them gives one the chance to rise above the rest.

James used to be the head of this table, up until 2019-20.

He has the ability to influence winning, and is often a remarkable performer.

Making teams competent and functional is a talent, but we’re starting to see it wane as James nears age 38 a few days after Christmas. For the second straight season, and for most of his time as a Laker, it doesn’t appear James will have the Lakers ascending to competitive status.

It’s usually something that’s gotten in the way of the grand dreams James and the franchise possessed in the preseason: an injury to James, combined with a team-altering controversy, or an injury to Davis. Before James arrived in Los Angeles, the last time his team was truly out of the championship discussion was 2006 — his third year in the league and the first time he got a taste of the postseason.

He was just 21 when he put together a solid two-run showing. This would be a foreshadowing of the next 15-years. Washington WizardsThen, he took the two-time East champ Detroit Pistons To the brink with a 3-2 advantage, before losing in seven.

Keep that in mind?

Twenty-one was a long way back.

It bears out now, at times on the floor when he can’t imprint his sheer will onto a game that seems desperate for ownership. He’s taking the second-most shots of his career (21.9 attempts) while his efficiency is way down (48.6% would be his lowest since 2008). His free throws continue to dip while the 3-point shots continue to increase — his seven attempts per night is the second-highest mark of his career and shooting 30% is second to only his rookie year, in terms of career lows.

It’s hard to recall a 38-year-old looking this good, despite the numbers heading downhill, but the fact remains the Lakers aren’t good enough to have a version of James that’s less than his historic standard.

The roster isn’t built for him to be an exceptional 38-year-old; it’s calling for him to be an exceptional player for any age, and that just doesn’t seem realistic at this point.

He can rev it up for a few more weeks and turn into the Tasmanian Devil during the next season’s doldrums to help the Lakers get into a playoff spot.

But with his health at a premium, the miles on his body and the hits he’s taken, it doesn’t seem feasible to push himself beyond his limits for something that doesn’t feel like a worthwhile return.

James also averaged a league-high 36.7 minutes per game during his last season with Cleveland. In the last two seasons thus far, he’s averaged 36.7 minutes — which feels like a recipe for an injury if folks aren’t careful.

And unfortunately for the Lakers, it’s hard to envision a scenario in which they sacrifice a future that’s already unknown for a thin slice of possibility that the present can look better than it does now.

It doesn’t feel like there’s a move they can make to elevate themselves in the meantime, and it’s probably best if they sit in the reality.

It’s not a death knell, the Lakers have been in unsavory positions before, as have plenty of other franchises.

It’s just their turn.