LeBron’s jumper is down and the Lakers are struggling on offense

LeBron’s jumper is down and the Lakers are struggling on offense

LeBron James has been in an offensive crisis and JJ Redick needs to get him back on track for the Lakers to advance in the West.

Get NBA League Pass TODAY >

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – LeBron James is in quite a shooting crisis – especially from distance.

James missed all four of his 3-point attempts for the Los Angeles Lakers in a 109-80 loss at Minnesota on Monday night, extending his lead to 0-for-19 from deep in the last four games.

After going 4-for-16 from the field with six of his team’s 20 turnovers and a season-low 10 points against the Timberwolves, James was asked to reflect on how the Lakers reach the quarter mark of their 2024-25 schedule under their rookie coach reached JJ Redick at 12-9.

“I wouldn’t say I’ll accept it. I would never want to say that,” James said. “It is what it is. That’s our record. We just have to continue to get better on both ends of the court.”

Especially offensively, and that doesn’t just apply to James, the four-time NBA MVP, whose average of 22 points per game is the lowest since he was a rookie 21 years ago.

“We’re just not good offensively at the moment. I think we spent so much time fixing our defense that our offense took its toll and took a backseat,” he said.

James hasn’t made a 3-pointer since tying Kyle Korver for seventh place on the league’s career list (2,450) last week. His fourth attempt against the Timberwolves from behind the arc was an aerial ball that drew an audible gasp from the Target Center crowd.

The long ball isn’t the only shot he struggles with. The middle class is also on his list.

“Just point, just everything,” James said. “Just a rhythm. I just felt like I was out of sync the last few games.”

How does he fix the problem?

“Work. Just work. That’s all,” James said.

His stated goal of playing all 82 games this season is still intact, but his recent performances raise questions about whether such an endeavor would make sense.

“We measure players and can tell if a guy is getting hot or whatever,” Redick said. “He does a great job of taking care of his body and healing it. I don’t know if it’s in our best interest and his best interest for him to do that, but if he’s feeling well, he should play.”

James said 82-game success remains a goal for him in his 40-year-old season – his birthday is December 30 – but declined to discuss the possibility of a break.

The much bigger issue right now is getting the Lakers back on track offensively with this further adjustment to Redick’s system and a new team. According to Sportradar, their 80-point output in Minnesota was the team’s lowest since a 122-73 loss in Dallas in 2017.

“Sometimes we look like a team that can compete with anyone, and sometimes we look like a team that is terrible and won’t do anything this season,” co-star Anthony Davis said. “We just have to figure out which team we want to play for the rest of the season.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *