James is slowly changing how he plays offense. He is taking more 3s and fewer shots at the rim. He still took a ton of shots (44.6 percent) within 5 feet of the rim last season, but it was below his career high (49.7) in the 2015-16 season, when he was 31 and won an NBA title in his second season back with the Cavs....he’s settling because he either can’t or won’t go to the rim as often. It’s far easier for a player his age to shoot 3s than to put his head down and score through traffic. He’s not shooting all that well, either—33.9 percent from 3 and 66.5 percent from the free throw line. The Lakers need him to be more accurate, because it will only become a more important part of his game as he gets older.
His physical decline is more noticeable on defense. The Lakers tried to hide LeBron as much as possible. The players James defended the most last season were P.J. Tucker (154 possessions), Al-Farouq Aminu (144), and Dante Cunningham (125). Peak LeBron had the ability to be the primary option on offense while also shutting down the best scorer on the opposing team. He can’t do that anymore...
LeBron has already put an incredible number of miles on his body. He is no. 15 in NBA history in career minutes played... It shouldn’t be possible for him to keep up his same level of play for much longer. But it will be fascinating to watch him try.
For the Lakers to Succeed, LeBron Has to Hold up His End of the Bargain - The Ringer
