Lakers News: Where Insider Ranks LeBron James Among Small Forwards This Year

Seems a little too low for my liking...

Even in his advanced age, Los Angeles Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James is still better than the majority of players in the NBA. And yet, year after year, people continue to discount this fact.

James showed last season that he is still a dominant force, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. Injuries caused him to miss time, but when he was on the court, he was special.

He helped lead the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals and put on a show. In the last game of the season for LA, James put up 40 points to try and keep their season alive.

Now heading into his 21st NBA season, James still should rank as one of the top players in the league. However, in a recent ranking of NBA forwards, James came in fifth.

HoopsHype.com ranked small forward and put James behind Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard. 

"This might seem low for the league’s new all-time leading scorer

LeBron James

, an All-Star last season and a 3rd Team All-NBAer, but that’s just how loaded the small forward position projects to be in the 2023-24 season"

Per HoopsHype.com

I have a problem with this ranking. You can say that Tatum and Durant should be ahead of James due to age, but both Butler and Leonard shouldn't be. 

Butler seems more like a recency bias situation after the Miami Heat made a run to the NBA Finals. But Leonard hasn't shown the ability to stay healthy whatsoever. He is a tremendous talent, but James is still better, even at his age. 

At worst, James should be the third-highest small forward on this list. His skill set is still there and we all saw it just a few months ago. 

He should only get better this season, as the Lakers have a stronger club. James won't be relied upon as heavily during the regular season so he can rest up a little bit for the playoffs.

Some may disagree with me, but the beautiful thing is that the games tip off here shortly, so we will just wait and see. For now, James is still a top player in the league and deserves the praise that comes with that.

Are you following us on Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube yet? Join the conversation as we discuss the latest Lakers news and rumors with fans like you!