Both the eye test and the numbers suggest that LeBron James has been a subpar defensive player in his 23rd season. But that doesn’t surprise Rich Paul, who feels the Los Angeles Lakers are “in trouble” if they expected his 41-year-old client to be a defensive stopper while on his last legs — both literally and figuratively.
On the latest episode of The Ringer’s “Game Over” podcast with Max Kellerman, Paul defended James from staunch criticism surrounding his defense this season.
“Normally, it’s not the superstar guy that’s going to be your All-Defensive guy,” Paul said while speaking on Luka Doncic’s shortcomings on the defensive end.
“Even in LeBron’s case, people get on him about the defense today, but we’ve seen it [in the past]. If you have to depend on a 41-year-old, you’re in trouble anyway.”
Paul then reminisced over days when James could defend all five positions, citing his ability to guard everyone from Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Curry.
LeBron James Defense Hits New Lows
But that was a completely different version of James. In his 23rd season, the veteran forward has been, by all accounts, a defensive liability for the Lakers.
James has the worst defensive rating among all Lakers (min. 18 minutes per game) this season, with opponents scoring 119.8 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor. He also has the worst net rating (-5.6) among all starters and key rotational players. Both Doncic and James have offered no resistance in transition, with the Lakers allowing 13.0 and 12.7 fast-break points, respectively, with their co-stars on the floor.
Another metric to highlight James’ poor defense is his career-low rebounds (5.2) and rebounding rate (7.7%). After all, a defensive possession isn’t complete until a rebound. James’ inability to contest for boards would explain why the Lakers allow the most second-chance points (10.4) and third-most paint points (35.4) with him on the floor.
Rich Paul Way Off
Granted, Paul is 100% correct in suggesting that the Lakers are unreasonable to expect good defense from a 41-year-old James. That said, he’s misremembering history by stating that a “superstar guy” can’t play at an All-Defensive level.
Tim Duncan (15x All-Defense), Kobe Bryant (12x All-Defense), Kevin Garnett (12x All-Defense), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (11x All-Defense), Michael Jordan (9x All-Defense) and Hakeem Olajuwon (9x All-Defense) were all superstars and former MVPs who carried the offensive load while also anchoring the defense.
In the Lakers’ case, it just happens that their co-stars — James and Doncic — are both defensive liabilities, and their third-best player, Austin Reaves, is also a dud on defense. Per Second Spectrum player tracking data, Doncic (3.45), James (3.45) and Reaves (3.64) are three of the 15 slowest defensive players in the league based on how much ground they cover on the other end. No other team has even two players in the top-20.
It’s precisely why analysts such as Tom Haberstroh have urged the Lakers to either trade Reaves or find LeBron James a new home.
“Having multiple guys who need to be hid defensively spreads a defense thin. Three guys? It’s untenable. For those who are serious about winning,” he wrote recently.
The Lakers rank 25th in defensive rating, but they plummeted to 29th in December, allowing teams to score 122.4 points per 100 possessions.
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