Ray Allen: 'LeBron has to reinvent himself' with Lakers
Ray Allen played alongside LeBron James with the Miami Heat in 2012-13 and 2013-14, winning an NBA championship in their first season as teammates.
The Hall of Fame sharpshooter understands that players around James must mold their game to benefit the superstar, but he also believes James will need to change aspects of his own playing style for the Los Angeles Lakers to succeed.
"Even LeBron has to reinvent himself," Allen said on the "Dan Patrick Show" on Tuesday when asked about the new-look Lakers roster.
"When I played with him (in Miami), he had a lot around him that could do different things, so he didn't always have to carry the weight," Allen added. "Cleveland, it was a little different. He needed more shooters around him.
“(In L.A.), he doesn’t have that many shooters around him, so how are they going to fit in? (Lance) Stephenson and (Rajon) Rondo both need the ball in their hands. So is he going to give up more of that responsibility and Is he going to become somewhat of a spot-up shooter at the same time? Or are those guys going to become shot-up shooters? It’s going to be interesting to watch."
After adding James at the beginning of free agency, the Lakers signed Stephenson and Rondo - both capable ball-handlers who've largely struggled with long-distance shooting, similar to sophomore guard Lonzo Ball. To Allen's point, James won't need to be the lone playmaker for Los Angeles, but he'll also need to adjust to a different type of roster than he's played with in years past.
The 15-year NBA veteran averaged 27.2 points, 9.1 assists, and 8.6 rebounds for Cleveland last season while playing in all 82 regular-season games.