On January 1, Beijing time, the Lakers won the Blazers 139-106 at home in the NBA regular season, ending the journey of 2021. In this campaign, James continued to play the role of starting center and performed well, playing only 29 minutes, shooting 16 of 26, including 5 of 10 three-pointers, 6 of 9 free throws, contributing 43 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks, almost single-handedly destroying the Blazers' defense.
After the game, James connected the commentator Lakers (7 champions) Holly in an interview on the sidelines, and when talking about James's position as the starting center in this game, he said: "You played a small lineup today, I also know something about the small lineup, and you seem to have created a new world in the position of center. When playing center, you're averaging 34 points per game, is that your role on a brand new team? Or are you going to give Davis that a comeback put him on the bench and then go and compete for the best sixth man"?
In addition to that, Horry teased James: "I just want to say that you look really good when you play center, and in my case, you may have surpassed Olajuwon to become the best center in NBA history." 」 (James laughed after listening to it)
This season's Lakers are obviously heavy attack and light defense, so it has always been the main small lineup, when there is Davis most of the time he plays the No. 5 position, since Davis was injured, the Lakers lineup is smaller, James is more often pushed to the center position, although in the past 7 games, James has cut 30+ points, and the performance is efficient and stable, but the Lakers have only got a 2-6 record after Davis was injured, from this point it can be seen: even if James is excellent, he is not suitable for playing center for a long time!
First of all: James just finished his 37th birthday, has been in the league for 19 seasons, played in the center position for a long time, the consumption of his body can be imagined, the Lakers need the full strength of the playoffs, not the full strength of the current stage.
Secondly: it is undeniable that James's physical condition is excellent, and he is also a good player in attack and defense when he is young, but now the Lakers not only need James to play center, grab rebounds and defense, but also need James to score and organize, asking too much, James can not do everything.
Finally: Because of the height and age problem, James plays center in many cases, the defensive effect is not particularly good, which is why James is so good, the team can not play part of the reason, so no matter what time, as long as the thick eyebrows are healthy, he is the best candidate for the Lakers center position.
We can't ignore James' versatility, nor can we ignore Davis' role in the center position. In any case, it is still painful for the current James, and I hope that Davis can return healthily as soon as possible and share the pressure for James.