Lakers News: Writer Ranks LeBron James Among Top 3 Wings Of Upcoming Year-21 Season
It seems like every season people decide that it is finally time to write off LeBron James. It’s like clockwork, and every single time, they are proven wrong.
Now I understand that Father Time is undefeated, but James still is at the top of his game for his age. He is entering his 21st season in the NBA, but there are those who want to still hold him to the degree that they did 10-plus years ago. That just speaks to his greatness and the expectations that have come over him while in the league.
Entering this new season, James remains as one of the best players in the entire NBA. The last time we saw him on the court, he dropped 40 points to try and keep the Lakers season alive. So he can still play at a very high level. But where does he rank in terms of wings across the NBA?
Well, Bleacher Report’s NBA Staff has got that covered, as they ranked the top 30 wings in the NBA for this season. James came in second, behind only Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics
“Last season, James averaged 28.9 points a game with 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists. While his rebounding is down from the Lakers' 2019-20 championship run (where he peaked at 10.2), his scoring has climbed (from 25.3 points a game that season). James is still capable of taking over playoff games (see Memphis Grizzlies or the final game of the Western Conference Finals) and remains the primary force teams have to game-plan for defensively.”
Now I won’t argue this ranking at all. I’d even say that there is a reasonable discussion to be had to put Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns over James. But having him behind Tatum seems very accurate to me.
His age is a factor certainly, but it’s what he has done at that age that continues to impress. We’ve never seen a play still dominant at such a high level as he does in their 21st NBA season.
James is still the leader out in Los Angeles, and he is going to want to keep proving any doubters wrong. He and the Lakers can do that by going out there this season and showing that last year wasn’t a fluke.
