The Los Angeles Lakers have certainly had an impressive start to their season despite not having LeBron James for the first 14 games. Their backcourt duo of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves took charge of the situation, leading the Lakers to a 10-4 record.
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A positive sign for Lakers Nation, especially since James was out due to back issues. After a lot of speculation, LeBron finally made his season debut in a home game against the Utah Jazz and the veteran forward did not take long to fit in.
However, Coach JJ Redick could face a challenging situation going ahead, figuring out the dynamics between James, Doncic and Reaves. Recently, appearing on the Dan Patrick Show, Hall of Famer Reggie Miller gave a detailed take on the path ahead for the Purple and Gold.
“I think now JJ Redick has his full complement of players. The question, I think, going forward is: how is he going to navigate?” said Miller, agreeing it was a good problem to have. “You’ve got Luka averaging 34 and a half. You’ve got Austin Reaves, the second leading scorer at around 28. I had to go back and look at this…
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“When was the last time LeBron James was the fifth leading scorer on his team? He’s averaging 14 points. How does JJ navigate that having an All-NBA player just a year ago, second team in LeBron, and now you incorporate him within the Lakers structures, who’ve gotten off to a great start,” he added.
While Reggie had his apprehensions about Redick figuring out the dynamics of the Lakers’ Big Three, James was confident that they would make it work.
The integration of King James
There is no denying that Bron has cemented his legacy as one of the all-time greats. His resume speaks for itself. That said, with the Lakers winning without him, there were claims that his return would ruin things, something the four-time champion dismissed.
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“It don’t matter. I’m a ball player. The best thing about me, in the way I’ve built my game my whole life, I’ve never had a position. Spo (Erik Spoelstra) would just say ‘positionless basketball,’ be positionless.” There’s not one team, one club in the world that I can’t fit in and play for. I could do everything on the floor, so whatever this team needs me to do, I know I can do it when I’m back to myself,”stated Bron.
One cannot help but agree with James, given how he still impacts winning. Although he may not play as many games as he once did, when on the court, he can still give you 20+ points a night. A fact that JJ recognizes, even addressing LeBron as a superhero.
Redick’s plan of action
In his 23rd season, James has done it all, whether it is making ten trips to the Finals or emerging as the all-time leading scorer. Regardless, Bron wants to be challenged, as he told Redick over the summer. Keeping that in mind, the Lakers’ coach devised a blueprint for him.
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“Just finding new ways to challenge him, whether that’s as a screener, as an off-ball player like we did last year…could be something defensively. I think finding ways to challenge him is going to be the biggest thing. He’s smart enough, he’s skilled enough. He’s got the size, athleticism, he can integrate himself. It’s finding ways to challenge him,” explained the former point guard turned coach.
The Lakers continue to win games and appear as one of the better teams in the conference. Still, they need to prove they can go head-to-head with the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and Houston Rockets and having healthy LBJ is only a plus in those situations.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.