LeBron went back almost 20 years: "He doesn't deserve to play in a team like this"

The Lakers dropped to a record 4:0 that James doesn't remember since his rookie season, the offense is on the way to a historic low ("Let's start hitting some shots") and the numbers show that this is not going to change.

No wonder LeBron's friends already feel sorry for him: "He's trying to convey professionalism, but we're being eaten from the inside"

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sport

27/10/2022

Thursday, October 27, 2022, 10:30 a.m

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Almost 20 years have passed since LeBron James' rookie season, which he opened in Cleveland with four losses.

It's hard to believe that James thought the script would repeat itself in the 2022/23 season with the Lakers, but that's what happened after the yellow-purple lost tonight (between Wednesday and Thursday) 110:99 to Denver.

Although it's barely been a week since the start of the season, and the Lakers also have extenuating circumstances (tonight they played without the injured Russell Westbrook), but history shows that usually, teams that start a season like this don't become very good.

The last time the Lakers started a season with 4:0, it was in the bad 2015/16 season, which was the last of Kobe Bryant's career and was mainly dedicated to parting with him.

That team finished that season with a record of just 17 wins versus 65 losses, and was one of the worst in Lakers history.

In the meantime, the numbers show that the Lakers do have very substantial deficiencies in the roster, which are doubtful to be fixed.

Defensively they are ranked at the top of the NBA, but offensively they put up the worst numbers in the league.

Their offensive rating (points per 100 possessions) is 97.1, and is not only the lowest in the league by a wide margin (all other teams with 100 or higher), but also puts them on pace with the worst offensive teams in league history.

If they continue at this rate, they will field the third weakest offense in the last 20 years.

A terrible attack.

LeBron in action tonight (Photo: GettyImages, Jamie Schwaberow)

The problem starts with shooting from three, an area where the Lakers are far behind compared to the rest of the league.

In the first four games of the season, the Lakers made 33 3-pointers out of 148 attempts - 22.3%.

This is the lowest percentage that any team has registered in the history of the league after four games.

"What needs to happen for us to start winning? Let's start hitting some shots," said a frustrated James at the end.

"Defensively, we look perfectly fine. I think we are among the best defensive teams in the league. The attack is the problem, because there we are ranked at the bottom of the bottom in all categories."

Even James Worthy, one of the team's legendary players, does not remember a team as limited as the current version of the Lakers.

"After this game, I need a fizzy drink. What a terrible game," Worthy said.

"Fox" commentator Shannon Sharp tweeted: "The Lakers are just a bad team, with or without Russell Westbrook. They're just terrible.

Carlos Arroyo, ex-Maccabi Tel Aviv who played with LeBron in Miami, also feels sorry for him.

In an interview with Richard Jefferson's podcast, Arroyo said: "I feel bad for him, really. I played with him, and I know how seriously he takes the game, how determined he is to be a winner. He cares about it a lot, and I know he's struggling right now, I'm sure it's hard for him to be in this Lakers locker room," said Arroyo, "he just puts on the face of a professional, but inside he's very frustrated, he's burned out, and he doesn't deserve it. He deserves to go through this at this stage of his career. But maybe that will change, because he is a great leader, and you can never eulogize him."

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• LeBron James

• Los Angeles Lakers