LOS ANGELES — After 201 days on the sideline with sciatica, LeBron James rejoined the Los Angeles Lakers’ rotation Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz, opening a new chapter in his unprecedented 23rd NBA season.
The comeback timeline
James practiced 5-on-5 with his teammates Monday for the first time since Game 5 of last spring’s first-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He had missed all of training camp, the preseason and the club’s first 14 games. In his absence the Lakers went 10-4.
Ayton’s adjustment
Center Deandre Ayton, signed to a two-year, $16.2 million deal after a buyout with Portland, has averaged 16.2 points on 69.2% shooting and 8.4 rebounds. League executives are split on how James will affect the 26-year-old big man. An Eastern Conference executive predicted that “LeBron makes people look good,” citing expected lobs and drop-off passes, while a Western Conference counterpart questioned Ayton’s consistency and basketball IQ.
In the win over Utah, James delivered on the optimistic forecast, finishing with 11 points and 12 assists; Ayton converted 10 of 13 shots, including an alley-oop from his new teammate. “That’s my second lob from him,” Ayton joked afterward, recalling the first one came when he attended James’ youth camp in eighth grade.
Balancing the backcourt
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves carried the offense while James was out, combining for 30-plus percent usage rates. They have also lived at the foul line — Doncic leads the league at 12.2 attempts per game, Reaves ranks third at 9.5. Coach Doc Rivers, now with Milwaukee, noted the challenge: “The third guy always took the hit” on past star trios.
Reaves, who declined an $89 million extension and could reach a $241 million max this summer, called James “the greatest player to ever touch a basketball.” On Tuesday, Doncic scored 37 points (13-for-16 at the line) and Reaves added 26 (11-for-12) as James posted his shortest average touch length since league tracking began in 2013-14, according to GeniusIQ.
Team needs and new lineups
Los Angeles is middle-of-the-pack in offensive and defensive efficiency (16th and 17th). Insiders believe James’ 6-foot-9, 250-pound frame, playmaking and three-point shooting — he hit 37.6% last season and 41% the year before — can raise both numbers. His 2-for-3 effort from deep against Utah pushed him past Reggie Miller for sixth on the all-time three-pointer list.
Coach JJ Redick can now deploy jumbo lineups featuring James, Rui Hachimura and Doncic, plus Reaves and a fifth shooter. “They could be big and skilled at pretty much every position,” a Western scout said.
Role-player reality check
With James expected to average roughly 15 shots, touches for complementary pieces such as Jake LaRavia — who scored 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting against Utah — will shrink. A team source said the locker room temperature will depend on whether reserves stay content if wins pile up.
Adapting at age 40
For the first time since his rookie year, James may need to fit around younger stars rather than the other way around. Redick called him “very adaptable,” and James brushed aside doubts after his season debut: “I can fit in with anybody. I don’t even understand why that was a question.”
The Lakers hope that adaptability, along with improved health, will keep their early momentum intact as they chase a fifth championship for James and first for the franchise since 2020.
Source: ESPN
