Rashad McCants warns that LeBron, Luca and Reaves could butt heads in the playoffs

Rashad McCants believes that Los Angeles Lakers face a possible problem on their hands when the playoffs roll around.

Going into Friday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, The Lakers finished fifth in the Western Conference with a record of 23-12. Overall, the Lakers played pretty well considering that LeBron James missed the first month of the season and Austin Reeves is currently sidelined with a calf injury.

What was most impressive was that when the three-headed trio of James, Reaves and Luka Dončić they were together on the field, they made it work. With Doncic averaged an NBA-best 33.7 points per game and Reaves leading the way with 26.6 points per game, James played the third offensive option for the first time in his career, averaging just 21.7 points per game – a career low since his rookie season.

While James has played a third offensive role without much fuss, McCants believes the four-time MVP playing a secondary role could be a problem in the playoffs, and the 41-year-old is used to controlling the offense.

“You think about last year, and why they lost, it was simply because he didn’t know if he was going to take a back seat — not to Reaves, but to Luca. I think that was the main blow of the whole playoff situation, because Luca was used to a certain way of playing basketball, so LeBron was used to a certain place. They basically said in an interview with Mc-C. ClutchPoints.

“Now you go into the playoffs with maybe a healthy Austin Reaves who is averaging 19 to 20 points a game now averaging 27 to 28 points a game, full of confidence. Those are all three powerhouses right now. To me, if you keep LeBron going into the playoffs, he has to be a pure role in the playoffs. something that JJ Redick, I don’t think he can do.”

Redick has been coaching the Lakers for the second season. Considering he had no coaching experience before coaching the Lakers, the 41-year-old fared quite well, leading Los Angeles to a 50-32 record, third best in the Western Conference. However, they were outplayed by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the playoffs, losing to them in five games in the first round.

This season presents a whole other problem as James plays the third offensive role for the first time in his career. McCants says that if James doesn’t trade and stays with the Lakers, the new order could pose problems in the playoffs.

“Yeah, because at some point we know Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic aren’t playing defense,” the Lakers’ McCants said. “We know LeBron James can play defense when he wants to, but at this age — and he can use that — it can be used as an excuse to ‘Don’t ask me to play defense.’ When you have three guys on the floor that don’t play defense in a series of team elements, you’re going to struggle in the playoffs because we slow the game down. But then you have the offensive, when we’re in the half of the field, who’s going to have the ball?”

During the James era – that’s seven full seasons – the Lakers have advanced past the first round just twice. One of those years they won the championship in the COVID bubble, where all games were played in Orlando.

The Lakers certainly have no shortage of offensive options, but this could actually be their kryptonite moment for the playoffs in a Western Conference that is as competitive as ever.