What, you thought LeBron James would average a triple-double in his 22nd NBA season in which he turns 40 years old?
James’ longevity coupled with his 20th consecutive All-NBA selection last season set perhaps unrealistic expectations of what the old man can do even as he continues to accomplish feats at this age that no other player has.
The topic of James’ ‘decline’ reached its loudest volume following the Los Angeles Lakers 109-80 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday.
James scored just 10 points on 4-for-16 shooting, including 0-for-4 on 3-pointers, with eight rebounds, four assists and six turnovers and needed a free throw with 8:51 remaining in the fourth quarter to extend his streak of scoring at least 10 points to 1,243 games – a stretch that dates to Jan. 6, 2007.
Father Time has caught up. Worst game of his career. Showing real signs of decline. All the modern-day surface-level attractors. And ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins posted on social media, “A car running perfectly can fall apart after it hits 100k miles. Age 40 might be his 100K. I mean, at least that’s what my grandfather told me when his Oldsmobile stopped running.”
James is in a shooting slump. No arguing that. In his last six games, he is 43-for-108 from the field, including 3-for-30 on 3-pointers, and is averaging 16.8 points. He has missed 19 consecutive 3-pointers over the past four games.
That’s a brutal stretch. Can’t hide from that, one of worst shooting slumps of his career.
‘It’s the rhythm. I just feel off rhythm the last few, three or four games,” James told reporters.
The Lakers’ offense in general hasn’t been good the past six games – 2-4 with an offensive rating of 102.4 points per 100 possessions, barely better than the Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans during that stretch. The entire team is struggling.
Six games is also not a conclusive sample size to make definitive statements about the course of James’ season. Overall, James averages 22 points (which would be his lowest scoring average since his rookie season in 2003-04) and shoots 48.2% from the field and 34.5% on 3s and collects 9.1 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game.
It’s not the most efficient offensive production. However, you know how many other players average at least 22 points, 9.0 assists and 8.0 rebounds this season? One, and that’s Denver’s Nikola Jokic, the three-time NBA MVP, including the winner of the award last season.
It’s not like James is the 12th player on the bench. Just four months ago, he was an integral part of USA Basketball’s gold medal team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, earning MVP. This season, James has 12 double-doubles and six triple-doubles (second-most) in the league and became the oldest player in NBA history to record a 30-point triple-double.
His skills didn’t just disappear in the past six games.
Let’s revisit Perkins’ (outdated) automobile analogy and apply a modern outlook. Cars last more than 100,000 miles these days and still perform well. They just might need a little extra maintenance.
And for James, that may mean the occasional game off. He wants to play in all 82 games this season, but that might not be realistic. James has played in all 21 this season but note that his dominant performance in Paris came on a schedule where there were no back-to-backs and rarely were there games every other day.
For now, taking a game off isn’t on James’ mind. But the Lakers, James and coach JJ Redick should consider what’s best for the 40-year-old to be at his best.
I’m hesitant to label this the beginning of a precipitous decline. Seems foolhardy. Of course there’s going to be a decline in his game even though it’s hard to fathom considering the body of work for two decades. It’s impossible – as much as James fends off the inevitable – for him to play at the same level at 40 as he did at 35.
Let’s see if this six-game stretch morphs into something larger and more concerning before we send James off into the sunset.
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