LeBron James’ 7-1 run after eight games with Luka Dončić has the Lakers riding the high of getting the free-wheeling scoring machine and thinking championship. It also has “The Gil’s Arena” podcast crew, which includes former NBA players Kenyon Martin, Rashad McCants, Gilbert Arenas, and Nick Young, putting King James back in the MVP conversation at the age of 40.
Nick Young: “Can LeBron win the MVP?”
Because Lebron’s numbers are similar to his 2012-13 MVP season with Miami and with the addition of Luka, the “Gil’s Arena” crew started their campaign for LeBron to rise from non-contention to his fifth MVP at age 40.
“He’s not an MVP?” Young asked. The former NBA player feels that if LeBron maintains these numbers and the Lakers maintain their current position as the No. 2 seed in the West, that would make LeBron a Top 3 MVP candidate.
Former Lakers champion Robert Horry also believes that if James received similar foul calls as other players, his scoring average would significantly increase, making him a stronger MVP candidate.
Horry recently said, “If LeBron got the same calls SGA, he’d be averaging 30 plus points a game.”
Gilbert Arenas Says Nikola Jokic Is Averaging A Triple-Double, Should Win Fourth MVP
Arenas discounted the notion, reminding Young that “No. 3 (Nikola Jokic) is averaging a triple-double, a real one.”
Arenas did offer another perspective about how moving LeBron into the conversation, “pushes (Joker) down on the list” and elevates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder to victory.
Lakers Have An All-Time Legendary Duo Now With Luka and LeBron
In any event, Arenas feels that the Luka and LeBron combination is an all-time great one that is already functioning at a championship level.
“This reminds me of Steph and KD. Shaq and Kobe … probably mid- second championship especially going into that third,” said the NBA sharp-shooter turned leading podcast voice. “When everybody’s game plan was to double Shaq. Double Shaq and make everybody shoot, and then Kobe (Bryant) became a god and it’s like what do we do?”
”So everyone’s been used to doubling James, get him off the ball, make other plays,” Arenas explained. “Guard Anthony Davis one-on-one and let him do what he’s gonna do.”
Arenas says it’s a no-win situation for the rest of the league.
“Now they bring in Luka where now everyone now has to double him, and if you double him, now LeBron James is open on the weak side or gets to play one-on-one,” Arenas continued. “That’s the problem, Now Luka becomes the focal point on double teams and Lebron James is playing by himself.”
“Now you have one of The GOATS sitting there by himself shooting open threes. It became a different strategy and watching people try to game plan will be interesting,” he concluded.
