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LeBron James candidly admits massive flaws in Lakers' roster construction

LeBron James correctly understands that the Lakers may not have a roster worthy of title contention.

By Rucker Haringey

Jan 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) is defended by Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) as he takes the ball down court in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Jan 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) is defended by Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) as he takes the ball down court in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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The Lakers are in the midst of a tense battle for a playoff spot in the Western Conference and LeBron James is feeling the pressure. He knows that his team has a small margin for error every time they step on the court.

James attributes that largely to how his team's roster is "constructed." He understands that Los Angeles has to play near perfect basketball if they want to compete with other title contenders in the Western Conference. Some Lakers fans would love to see a big trade help boost the roster ahead of the Trade Deadline but the odds are stacked against that given the team's payroll and lack of trade assets.

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LeBron James nailed the biggest problem with the Lakers

As it stands, the clearest path forward for the Lakers is for James to turn back the block and play some of the best basketball of his career. Anthony Davis can be his co-star but James has to be the player who initiatives the team's offense in high pressure situations. Austin Reaves can soak up possessions but he's more valuable as a floor spacer than a creator when the stakes are at their height.

The team is currently outperforming its point differential which might be cause for concern for James and his teammates. Their -2.8 differential on the year is the fourth worst mark in the Western Conference. The Jazz, Blazers and Pelicans are the only teams with inferior marks. Utah and Portland are both headed for high lottery picks while the Pelicans have struggled with injuries for most of the season.

It's unclear where James places the blame for his team's flawed roster construction. He is not pointing a proverbial finger at the team's front office yet but it's easy to envision that happening if Los Angeles falls out of the top-six. James certainly does not want his body to be taxed by any play-in games before he gets a chance to quality for the playoffs. His team's roster might force him to do that despite his wishes.

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