Perhaps the great LeBron James, whom we all admire and respect, will statistically dominate in January and February much as he did in December. It is possible, in theory. James, with precious little support around him and expertly handling small-ball center duties, averaged 30.7 PPG, 9.3 RPG and 6.5 APG on 36.7 MPG in December, shooting 55% on field goals, 40% on 3-pointers and 78% from the free throw line. (Last year he shot 36% on 3-pointers and 69% from the line.) Nobody ranked even close to him on the ESPN Player Rater in December or supplied better numbers in points formats.
James achieved much of this sans his top-10 fantasy teammate Anthony Davis, who sprained an MCL in his knee a few weeks ago. In fact, James almost has to play at this level or the Los Angeles Lakers, as currently constructed in their flawed manner, will be a lottery team. They might be one anyway! Which other Los Angeles Lakers will help James? Turnover machine Russell Westbrook? Whoops, there goes another 25-foot brick. Malik Monk? Davis himself?
About a month ago, a fantasy manager in one of my keeper leagues traded future assets -- ones I did not have, so I really could not complain -- for James. I led in the standings, foolishly thinking it was comfortable. The price seemed rather low because, well, James was turning 37 years old after Christmas and had a recent history of missing considerable games, and his numbers through two months were nice, but not awesome enough to tip the standings.
A month later and the James investor rocketed up in the standings to the point my meager squad looks up at his, and James is surely the main reason. Should I panic? Well, I could, but c'mon, James is going to keep doing this indefinitely? Really?
This might not be a popular view, and I really do think it comes without bias, but the obvious play here is to trade James away at his apex, because he is not going to be able to average 30 PPG and carry this Lakers team for three-plus more months. Nobody is debating the greatness of the man or player, his place in history, none of it.
The Lakers trudge along as a .500 team and, quite clearly, the schedule gets tougher. In fact, the Lakers might have the most difficult schedule of any team the rest of the way, with more Warriors, Jazz and Nuggets rather than Kings, Timberwolves and Rockets.
There is more.
At some point, we presume, Davis will return, and he will obviously cut into James's production to some degree. We can admit the pairing with Westbrook is not exactly perfect, because James wants and demands the basketball in his hands at all times, but Davis offers a different and critical skill set. (He can shoot, too.) The Lakers struggled to put away Minnesota, at home, on Sunday night, even though the Wolves lacked stars Karl Anthony-Towns and D'Angelo Russell. James carried them in his 39 minutes and averages 36.8 MPG for the season, his most in five seasons. That cannot continue!
Look, I love watching James play, but if he were the best player on my fantasy team, this would worry me a bit. It has to! It is hard to imagine the Lakers playing him this many minutes come three weeks from now, let alone March.
The whole point of adding Westbrook -- a capable player for sure, offering what he offers -- and a slew of older, experienced players surrounding James was so they could take it easy on the superstar's hefty minutes.
Remember, James turned 37 last week and missed considerable time last season with separate ankle injuries. He missed half of this recent November with an abdominal strain, and he continues to show up on the team's injury report on a nightly basis. How can he sit out when the Lakers need him so badly? What James is doing is admirable. He is figuratively carrying the team.
Will it last? Even Hall of Famers, defining athletes of their generation, can do only so much. I try to look at things from a practical point of view, and I was fading James in October drafts due to these myriad factors: age, recent lack of durability, presence of others to help him (which is not working out, obviously). Has something changed there?
We bow to his statistical feet, um feats. Trading for him today for what he must cost might work out, in theory. Maybe Davis, who has been missing games for a while, misses loads more. Maybe James is durable again. Maybe the Lakers squeak into the playoffs. Or maybe the stars get shut down in March and Talen Horton-Tucker averages 25 PPG then. Who knows?
I just know what James is doing is awesome ... but I cannot see it continuing for long.
(By the way, I would trade Davis away, too.)
OK, on those happy notes (not!), here is the latest edition of the Trade Index, as we welcome a new year on the calendar and desperately try to field teams despite so many players out of the lineup.
Trade for
Cameron Johnson, SF, Phoenix Suns: Regular readers know I love Mikal Bridges, a fantastic 3-and-D wing with arms that reach the floor, but I am, to be honest, a bit disappointed in his fantasy production. Johnson is doing better (for fantasy). He has been starting with Jae Crowder in COVID-19 protocols and he is getting and making more shots, so perhaps the Suns leave things this way. Even off the bench for most of December, Johnson averaged 15.1 PPG and 5.6 RPG for the month, shooting 49% from the field and 88% from the line. This is an emerging player.
Josh Giddey, PG/SG, Oklahoma City Thunder: There remains some risk here because the Aussie rookie simply cannot shoot properly yet. Still, we heart triple-doubles. Russell Westbrook is rostered in every league for a reason, and he should be, of course. Giddey looks like is a young Jason Kidd. He is going to pile on the triple-doubles. I do not think I could deal proper value for him in roto formats, not with those percentages (39% from the floor, 65% from the line) but in points leagues, sure. He is 19. The shooting has to improve!
Trade away
Derrick White, PG/SG, San Antonio Spurs: I actually like this player, but his recent work in the assists category is a direct result of the more talented Dejounte Murray missing time on the COVID-19 reserve list. Fantasy managers should enjoy short-term statistical upgrades when they can, and realize when they will cease. White is fine, a helpful player, offering his 14.5 PPG and 5.6 APG, but the recent numbers cannot last.
Lauri Markkanen, SF/PF, Cleveland Cavaliers: The Ricky Rubio injury is a big problem for a few of my fantasy teams, and Cleveland has nobody to replace him. Sorry, Isaac Okoro fans. Gonzaga's Kevin Pangos? Rajon Rondo? Darius Garland can do only so much. I do not know what a fantasy manager can get for Markkanen, but I am just not impressed. I doubt he suddenly scores more to make up for Rubio's loss. He should be so much better, but this is what he is. Markkanen averaged 11.9 PPG in December, and he does nothing else. He made 27% of his 3-pointers for the month, and averages fewer than 2 per game for the season. Eh.