LeBron James’ unceremonious first-round exit in the NBA playoffs despite having Luka Doncic by his side has given fans and management much to ponder this offseason. At 40 years old LeBron is still productive, but he is definitely slowing down and the guy who became known for taking less and making more, is now begging for more help.
Not just from his teammates.
Klutch Sports, the agency that represents LeBron and his best friend super-agent Rich Paul, who owns the company, have been trying to separate Bron from the narrative of failure that occurred this season. Paul made an appearance on the Pat MacAfee show on Tuesday via zoom.
When Luka was unfathomably traded to the Lakers, the championship odds for the team skyrocketed and the basketball world was anxious to see if Bron could make one last run with a superstar in his prime, who many called the best player in the NBA.
Rich Paul Blames Rob Pelinka’s Roster Depth For Bron/Luka Playoff Failure
Paul claims a missing ingredient, roster depth, cost them that opportunity.
“You have to be a professional in these times to understand that things may change. And so that goes to having depth- you can’t do that with just two stars. Everyone was so gung-ho about Luka and LeBron. I never thought that. That would just mean that they’re going to win the championship. Names don’t win the championship- rosters do,” said Paul on The Pat McAfee Show.
So basically, Paul is blaming the supporting cast and President of basketball operations Rob Pelinka for assembling a roster that didn’t enhance their championship potential.
JJ Redick Plays Ony Five Starters For Full Half
The most damning evidence of this was in Game 4 against the Timberwolves when Lakers rookie coach JJ Redick didn’t play any of his bench players for a full half. The team consisting of LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Dorian Finney-Smith played 35+ minutes each, with both Luka and Brown playing 46 minutes.
Pelinka has gotten plenty of credit for moves that he really didn’t do anything extraordinary to pull off. LeBron wanted out of Cleveland, and he wanted to go to LA to build on his legacy and break records in a Lakers jersey.
Luka Doncic was a coup, but Dallas was clearly the aggressor in trying to dump him. The Lakers happened to be a place where he wouldn’t complain too much and his star power would be respected and enhanced.
When gifts such as those fall into your lap, at the very least all the GM has to do is manage the books correctly and get some high-level veterans to come play with LeBron and Luka for a championship. None of that happened. The Lakers did have solid players, but the level of talent throughout the roster couldn’t get them over the top.
With all of the energy Pelinka expended justifying Bronny James’ spot on the team, you’d think he would put as much diligence and energy into constructing a team that could trul contend for a championship.
How Much More Help Does LeBron James Need? Is Championship Window Running Out?
Don’t expect much to change this offseason as it is time for the Lakers to start thinking about the future and how they will build around Luka Doncic who is now the future of the franchise. Bron is a short timer, and he can hang on for another few years, but the culture of the team has to start going into a massive transition. Especially if they want to make sure that they re-sign Luka to a massive deal, keeping him in Tinseltown.
On the other hand, Pelinka has the most secure job in the NBA and oftentimes he acts like it. The lack of urgency and ability to put the correct team around Bron and Luka with the small window they have together frustrates Paul.
“You can’t look at a team that has won and say ‘Oh they had one great player and so he led them and they won the game or they won the series.’ That’s always been very misleading. And it goes back to any of the GOAT conversations. You want to have- you got to compare the GOAT with their teams and also their front offices that help make the decisions to put the players around them. And so I think you know LeBron’s going to always be criticized whatever he says. People are going to look at it a certain way,” said Paul on the show.
Sounds like Rich Paul is doing what he usually does and cleaning up any mess that might be seeping into LeBron’s legacy. Saying that he didn’t think the Lakers had the team to contend for a ring — even after adding Luka to the mix — sounds like a PR cleanup on aisle 3. That’s what the last years of LeBron’s career has been all about.
