Brian Windhorst: LeBron James Is Now in the “Deep End” of the Most Unfamiliar Role of His Lakers Career

The Los Angeles Lakers (15–5) are opening a tough three-game East Coast swing on Thursday against the Toronto Raptors — but the bigger storyline is happening within the Lakers’ own locker room.

According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, LeBron James has entered the “deep end” of a role he’s never played before, a situation shaped by offseason injuries, a revamped offensive identity, and the explosive ascent of Austin Reaves.

Windhorst broke down James’ new reality on The Dan Patrick Show, calling it truly unprecedented in the context of LeBron’s two-decade career.

“We’ve never seen him not be the 1A guy on his team. We’ve never seen him have offseason injuries before. Then his team, without him, plays really, really well. Absolutely never happened.”

Even one of these elements would be unusual. All three at once? Windhorst says this is now uncharted waters for the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

🟣🟡 “He’s in the deep end”

Windhorst elaborated:

“I think he is absolutely in a little bit of the deep end of the pool that he’s never been in before. How long has it been since he’s been in a situation he hasn’t not only seen, but mastered? So this is awkward and he’s showing his age.”

For the first time in his Lakers tenure, James has slid into a tertiary role, operating behind Luka Doncic and a red-hot Austin Reaves — now averaging 28.1 points per game and establishing himself as one of the league’s premier perimeter scorers.

James, coming off a delayed start due to a sciatica issue, has logged:

• 15.2 points
• 7.2 assists
• 4.0 rebounds
• 46% from the field
• 31.8% from three

through his first five appearances. The shift has been visible. Monday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns snapped a seven-game win streak and marked one of LeBron’s quietest outings: 10 points and three assists on 3-for-10 shooting.

🔄 A new system. A new identity. A new LeBron.

Under JJ Redick, the Lakers have reconstructed their offense around Doncic’s heliocentric creation and Reaves’ scoring versatility. That leaves LeBron operating differently than ever:

• more off-ball movement
• less on-ball control
• more connective play
• fewer isolation sets

It’s the deep end of a role that was once unimaginable — but also necessary as he approaches 41.

👶 Doncic out — and more weight shifts to LeBron

With Luka still away in Slovenia for the birth of his second daughter, the Lakers will lean more heavily on LeBron during this road trip. It adds a temporary layer of responsibility to an already evolving role.

Los Angeles faces:

• Toronto Raptors
• Boston Celtics
• Philadelphia 76ers

before returning home for their NBA Cup quarterfinal showdown against the Spurs.

For LeBron, these next three games represent both challenge and opportunity — a chance to reclaim rhythm while adjusting to the most unfamiliar chapter of his legendary career.