Lakers News: LeBron James’ 82-Game Goal May Be Reassessed by LA

Ricardo Sandoval | 15 Hours Ago

Dec 2, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered one of their worst early-season losses when they were run out of the gym on Monday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, 109-80. 

The Lakers played some of their worst basketball on both sides of the ball, especially offensively. They looked lost, and nothing went right for them throughout Monday's contest. 

Not only was that the case, but LeBron James' shooting slump has hit an all-time low. He is in the midst of the worst shooting slump of his career, and because of it, the Lakers may need to handle his workload from here on out. 

Lakers head coach JJ Redick said he is still determining whether trouting out James for the entire 82-game season is sustainable. 

"I don't know that's in the best interest of him and us if he does that, but if he's feeling well and feeling good, then he should play," Redick said. "But we obviously want to ... manage that as best we can."

James was atrocious on Monday against the Timberwolves. He tied a season-low with 10 points on 4-of-16 shooting from the field in L.A.'s loss. 

James went 0-for-4 on 3-pointers against the Wolves, extending his drought to 0-for-19 from deep in his past four games -- the worst he has shot from three since he missed 24 straight from Dec. 26, 2003, to Jan. 13, 2004.

It's clear that James is not himself at the moment, and he spoke about that after the loss. 

“I'm just not good offensively right now.”

"It's everything," James said when asked what is frustrating him about his game at the moment. "It's the rhythm. I just feel off rhythm the last few, three or four games."

It's as simple as that when it comes to the four-time NBA champion. Has Father Time finally caught up with James, or is this just a slump he will eventually figure out? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: it is not pretty right now. 

The Lakers have lost five of their last seven games. They are not playing good basketball, and it's clear they need to make a change to their roster. 

However, if James is no longer himself, is it even worth it for L.A. to make a trade? 

L.A. is spiraling right now, and it is not pretty to watch. James will turn 40 years old on Dec. 30. 

Have the wheels finally fallen off? 

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