Amid their 7-2 start, the Los Angeles Lakers received another boost of optimism on Thursday. The team announced that LeBron James, who has yet to play this season, has been cleared for basketball activities and will be re-evaluated in one to two weeks.
On paper, adding a superstar who made the All-NBA Team last season, can morph into whatever role the Lakers need, and brings leadership and experience should be a perfect fit. But is it really that simple?
Many basketball pundits aren’t entirely at ease with LeBron’s return. Austin Reaves has flourished without him and the Lakers are building real momentum to start off the season. The question is whether his return changes the balance. Kenny Smith didn’t hold back when addressing it.
Even before the team said LeBron was making progress, Kenny Smith was already skeptical. The Lakers may have finished third last year with LeBron, Reaves and Luka Doncic, but he’s not convinced three players with similar playstyles could coexist seamlessly.
“Can you have three guys on the same team be creators?,” Kenny Smith said. “It’s impossible to have that, because there’s not enough ball movement and body movement to win. So, it’s going to be interesting to see what LeBron does and how he slides in.”
