And this is how LeBron James goes out, with a whimper on a mediocre Lakers team. Yet here we are, at the mid-season timeout for the Lakers, trying to figure out what went wrong as the Lakers lose to the Atlanta Hawks (19-38), 117-113. Well, the Lakers are now 2-3 in the games James has played since returning from injury, also losing a game to the Warriors in which James sat out thanks to load management. This is the latest into a season that a LeBron James team has been under .500 since his rookie year in 2003-04. The Lakers’ front office hasn’t infused the roster with the perfect contingent of playmakers to complement James’ game.

Source: Forbes February 13, 2019 10:07 UTC