James joins the Nuggets, new position and new challenges, will the dynasty return?
During his time with the Cavaliers, LeBron James led the team to a championship in 2016, ending Cleveland City's 52-year title drought. In 2018, James joined the Lakers, hoping to regain glory at this traditional powerhouse. However, in the four years in Los Angeles, although James's personal data is still excellent, the Lakers have never been able to reach the finals, let alone the championship. In this year's playoffs, the Lakers were swept out by the Nuggets in the first round, and James' future was in the fog.
After moving to the Nuggets, James faced a whole new challenge. James has always played the small forward position, but at the Nuggets, there is a belief that he will likely be placed at the No. 2 position. For the 33-year-old veteran, switching to the point guard position is no easy feat. However, James has also briefly tried to play in other positions in his career, and from that point of view, he is more than capable of handling the responsibilities of the No. 2 position.
As a top star in the league, James will undoubtedly be the leader and backbone of the Nuggets. His ability to drive the attack and organise tactics is well known, which is very important for playing in the number 2 position. On the other hand, James' height advantage also allows him to have strong defensive ability on the inside, which will greatly complement the Nuggets' defensive end.
If he does play the No. 2 position, James will join forces with the strongest center in the current lineup, Nikola Jokic. The duo's interior combination will undoubtedly be one of the toughest in the league. Jokic occupies a lot of space on the court, which will create more space for James to break through and pass. James, on the other hand, could provide more assists for Jokic's interior offense.
It was also an "incredibly difficult decision" for James. He needs to completely change his playing habits over the years and adapt to a completely new position. James has previously said that he doesn't want to play point guard because it would burden him. Now, it seems, he had to make a change.
Another question to watch is whether James can fully return to his peak form. In the playoff matchup against the Nuggets, he has been plagued by an old ankle injury, which is one of the important reasons why the Lakers were swept. If he can't fully recover, James' explosiveness will not be able to be fully utilized, which will undoubtedly be a big blow to the Nuggets' championship dream.
James' injury status has been a concern. In the playoff matchup against the Nuggets, his old ankle injury clearly plagued his play. After the game, James also admitted that the injury affected his explosiveness, which directly led to the Lakers being swept out.
To completely shake off the haze of injury, James needs a complete rest and recovery process. He has started a 3-month period of professional physiotherapy aimed at strengthening the stability and flexibility of his ankle. At the same time, James is also following a professional diet plan to ensure that the body is fully nourished.
James is scheduled to begin a gradual return to training in mid-August. He will start with strength training and gradually increase the intensity of his training to prepare for the start of the new season. After full recovery, it is believed that James will regain the explosiveness and athleticism of his peak, injecting new impetus into the Nuggets' road to the championship.
After joining the Nuggets, James's salary package has also become the focus of widespread attention from the outside world. There are reports that the Nuggets are only willing to give James a two-year, $20 million base salary contract. This salary figure was significantly lower than James's previous expectations, and it also caused dissatisfaction among many fans.
However, from the Nuggets' point of view, the terms of this contract are also reasonable. After all, James is 33 years old, and coupled with his ongoing injury concerns, it is too risky to give him a long-term contract with a high salary. The term of the 2-year contract also gives both parties a run-in buffer period.
Another potential impact of this contract is that James' position with the Nuggets will not be as secure as it was with the Lakers. According to the terms of his contract, James could be a starter in the future, or just a bench or even a bench player, which could happen. This will undoubtedly be a huge challenge for a star who has won the championship four times.
However, the experienced James may be able to understand the Nuggets' considerations, and whether he can finally accept the contract remains to be further negotiated. After James joins the Nuggets, both sides will face a run-in process, and they need to adapt to each other and learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses in order to finally achieve a win-win situation.
After joining the Nuggets, James will join forces with Nikola Jokic to form an exciting interior team. There is no doubt about the strength of the two, but whether they can integrate perfectly will directly determine the ceiling of the Nuggets team.
From the perspective of roster composition, the addition of James and Jokic will undoubtedly greatly improve the overall strength of the Nuggets. They will be the core of the team, leading the team's offense and defense. Under their leadership, the Nuggets are expected to regain the glory days of a few years ago, re-enter the Finals, and compete for the championship.