With Anthony Davis expected to miss nearly a month with a calf strain, LeBron James thinks he'll need to change his approach for the Los Angeles Lakers to maintain their winning ways.
"Not having AD for a long period of time is something that we haven't had over the last year and a half, and now it's time for me to adjust again and see ways I can be even more effective to help this team win ballgames," James said following Saturday's 96-94 loss to the Miami Heat, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "Because that is the sport that we're in.
"We're in the winning business, and I've always been a winner. So, it's time to click into that."
The Lakers have survived without Davis. Though the team is 17-6 (.739) when the star power forward plays, L.A. is still 5-3 (.625) without him in 2020-21.
The results have been mixed this season when James is in the game with Davis on the sideline. Here are LeBron's five most-used lineups without his co-star this campaign:
| Minutes | Lineup | NET RTG |
|---|---|---|
| 73 | Schroder; Caldwell-Pope; Kuzma; Gasol | 2.6 |
| 66 | Matthews; Kuzma; Morris; Harrell | -12.4 |
| 56 | Caruso; Horton-Tucker; Kuzma; Harrell | 10 |
| 47 | Matthews; Horton-Tucker; Morris; Harrell | 2 |
| 31 | Caruso; Kuzma; Morris; Harrell | 1.5 |
"We try to help (James) out, we try not to make too much mistakes when we're on the floor with him or even running a play with him, just to give him some help," Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said Saturday. "We do ask Bron for a lot; he gives us a lot each and every game.
"It's up to us as far as like role players and 'next man up' mentality. We've got to be ready and locked in."