The Los Angeles Lakers came into the 2021-22 NBA season as one of the favorites to contend for the NBA championship. Many people penciled them into a finals matchup with the Brooklyn Nets, but that seems like a long shot to occur now.
The Lakers are 24-27 on the season and do not look like contenders. The gamble the front office took on acquiring Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards has not panned out, as he has struggled to mesh with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, just as many people predicted would happen.
The Lakers are in serious danger of missing the postseason for the second time in LeBron James’s tenure with the team. Outside of the Orlando Bubble in 2020, when they won the NBA Finals, the Lakers haven’t come close to contending despite some heroics from James.
Father Time seems to be catching up to him a little bit this season. He has already missed 15 games and counting this season as his total missed games with Los Angeles has met and will surpass the number of games he missed his first 15 seasons in the NBA.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: LeBron James’ MVP Play Being Wasted By Los Angeles Lakers
When he is on the court, he remains as dominant as ever. He is third in the NBA with 29.1 points per game while pulling down 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists. Unfortunately, the Los Angeles Lakers cannot count on him to be on the court consistently. When he plays the team is slightly above average; without him, they are among the worst teams in the NBA.
The goal for LeBron James has not changed despite entering its final stages. He still wants to win championships and when healthy has proven he can still produce at an elite level. However, there is at least one former NBA player who believes James will have to leave Los Angeles to win another ring.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: LeBron James’ MVP Play Being Wasted By Los Angeles Lakers
Charles Oakley made an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio and offered his thoughts on James to Frank Isola and Brian Scalabrine. He said that James has left twice, he’ll leave again and to get another ring before he retires, he could have to leave the Los Angeles Lakers to get it.
Oakley knows first-hand how difficult it is to win a championship. He was on numerous New York Knicks teams that came up just short, more often than not being unable to overcome Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: LeBron James’ MVP Play Being Wasted By Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James is set to hit free agency next offseason, so we could very well see him be on the move at that point. He has mentioned that he would love to play with his son in the NBA and that could very well dictate the move he makes in 2023 when he is set to be a free agent.
