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Lakers forward LeBron James looks back during a time out during the second half against the Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles Tuesday, March 10, 2026.
Are the Los Angeles Lakers a better team with LeBron James on the bench? With James sidelined for a third consecutive game on Tuesday, JJ Redick’s team beat the red-hot Minnesota Timberwolves, 120-106, to improve to 40-25 for the season and 14-7 in 21 games (.670) without their senior statesman.
With James in the lineup, the Lakers have been a middling 26-18 team (.590), but more concerningly, have struggled to unlock Austin Reaves to the best of his ability. That wasn’t the case on Tuesday as Reaves (10-of-20) and Luka Doncic (11-of-24) dropped 31 points apiece while combining for 19 assists and 18 rebounds.
NBA analyst and popular X user Rob Perez did not hesitate to ask the question on every Lakers fan’s mind after Tuesday’s game.
“If the Lakers win yet another notable game with this Austin/Luka lineup, who is going to be the brave reporter to ask LeBron if he should come off the bench when he returns?
“Guaranteed to be an even funnier response than Melo/P in OKC. Somebody take one for the team.”
Lakers Rolling Without LeBron James
During their three-game winning streak with James on the bench, the Lakers have averaged 119.3 points on a 48/40/82 shooting split, while outscoring their opponents by 12.7 points. Most impressively, they’ve held teams to 108.1 points per 100 possessions, displaying defensive tenacity not associated with Redick’s team.
The winning streak has also intensified the debate over whether Reaves and Doncic perform better when James is on the bench, a claim several statistics support.
After Tuesday’s win, Redick was once again asked if the Lakers were a better team without James. His answer left many in the media perplexed.
“I think when all three of those guys are on the court specifically, again, it goes back to the human element,” Redick said, via LakersNation’s Daniel Strickland.
“It’s what they’re comfortable doing as basketball players, which, for all three of those guys, one of those guys having scored the most points in NBA history and doing it for 23 years, is to have the ball in his hands. [Luka Doncic] has five First Team All-NBAs, should make another First Team All-NBA this year, is [used] to having the ball in his hands.
“So the human struggle to want what you want, and AR is ascending to an All-Star level, but the human struggle to want what you want while also having the emotional maturity and recognition that you have someone next to you, it hasn’t been as clean. And I think losing a training camp and losing the start of the year and then kind of losing AR then for a long stretch, I think we’re starting to get it.”
Austin Reaves Struggles With James
All that said, Redick did not deny that Reaves, in particular, seems to benefit when not playing alongside James.
“There’s a clear pecking order when Luka and AR are on the floor together with guys that are low usage players,” Redick admitted.
“That’s just the nature of it. And that’s the nature of nearly every Big 3 that’s ever existed. We’re gonna get there. And I think we’ve seen some positive signs, and I know LeBron, he recognizes the importance of having Luka as the engine. All he really wants is to impact winning. Again, I’ve said this now for the past two weeks. We’re gonna get there. We’re gonna get there.”
The Lakers have had an offensive rating of 113.4 with James on the floor and 116.2 without him (-2.8) this season. His -1.7 on/off number is the worst among all starters not named Deandre Ayton.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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