The defining challenge of the Lakers’ season might have arisen at the very beginning of the season. For the first time in 23 years, forward LeBron James missed opening night, and will be out of commission for three to four weeks due to sciatica on his right side.
Although James has seemed to be one step ahead of Father Time for the larger part of his illustrious career, this might be the season where age finally begins to show through. With that being said, even when James returns, what kind of impact can the Lakers expect?
In his last two seasons, James has flourished despite changing star teammates and head coaches. In 2023-2024, James averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds in 71 games. In the subsequent season, he posted a nearly identical 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds in 70 games, good enough to earn him All-NBA Third Team and All-NBA Second Team honors, respectively. Looking beyond the counting stats, James has adapted beautifully to an ever-modernizing game and his weakening body.
The Akron native shot 37.6% and 41% from beyond-the-arc in the last two seasons, marking his best of the last decade. Furthermore, James’ assist averages in those two seasons rank top-seven in his career, while his usage rates both fell into the bottom six seasons in his career at 29.1% and 30.1%, respectively.
The advanced stats tell much of the same story, according to Basketball Index, James has jumped up from the 35th percentile to the 45th percentile in spot up frequency from his MVP year in 2013-14. In 2024-2025, James ranked in the top 3 percent for catch-and-shoot 3-point shot-making efficiency.
Not only that, while James is no longer breaking his own career-records for scoring averages, he has become an increasingly efficient playmaker on offense, delivering more assists with less touches.
With these trends in mind, I believe James will come into the 2025-2026 season to serve as what can only be described as the most well-rounded second option of all time. Allowing guard Luka Doncic to take the brunt of the usage load on offense, James will offer lethal floor spacing combined with superhuman court-mapping and connective playmaking skills. Needless to say, James will also have the ability to take over the game in important moments.
No longer needing to be the one-man offensive engine that he was in the past, James can also spend more energy on the defensive end, where his generational basketball IQ allows him to be an excellent help defender. Last season, James ranked in the 72nd percentile in help-defense talent according to Basketball Index, a staggering increase from the 45th percentile recorded in his most recent MVP season.
With James being set to miss around 15 games, Luka Doncic and Head Coach JJ Reddick will have their hands full keeping the ship afloat as the season kicks off. However, once James returns, the Lakers can expect to gain a dangerously versatile connective mastermind on offense, and a mobile helpside conductor who can still pin the ball off the glass on defense.
James’ presence is clearly missed as the Lakers dropped their first game to the Golden State Warriors in a 123-109 loss. It’s not a stretch to say that James could have made a significant contribution in limiting forward Jimmy Butler, who had 31 points in the contest. Not to mention, James, having played against the Steve Kerr system as much as anyone in the league, would have had an overall impact on the Warriors offensive efficiency.
Indeed, the Lakers can rest assured that James will bring all of the benefits of having someone on your team who has seen it all—and won it all. Whether he’s playing 40 minutes or on the bench in street clothes, the GOAT brings a wealth of NBA knowledge and experience unmatched by any other player today.