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Jay Williams Says Lakers Should Shut Down LeBron James

(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

William Davis Contributor
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The 2018–19 Los Angeles Lakers are an absolute disaster, and things don’t appear to be getting turned around any time soon.

The current edition of purple and gold appears to be fundamentally broken. So, one ESPN Analyst opined that team executive Magic Johnson should simply just punt on the season and try to regroup for next year. Jay Williams said on Monday’s “Get Up!” that Johnson should shut the superstar down. (RELATED: LeBron James Throws Ball Off The Back Of The Backboard)


“Magic Johnson needs to shut LeBron James down,” Williams said.

Williams said that while LeBron’s competitive nature will make the decision harder, keeping the 34-year-old fresh for future championship runs should be the franchise’s priority. (RELATED: LeBron James Walks Off The Court Before Game Against The Bucks Is Over)

“If you’re thinking about long-term return on investment for LeBron James, who is 34-years-old, you have to be able to compartmentalize that,” Williams said.

PORTLAND, OR - OCTOBER 18: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts in the first quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers during their game at Moda Center on October 18, 2018 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts in the first quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers … (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

Williams is right. LeBron is 34. He may be great, but he won’t be around forever, and it makes little sense to use up any more of his mileage on this lost season. This season was always going to be a year of transition in Los Angeles, but making the playoffs was supposed to be a given.

However, the Lakers now sit four and a half games back of the eighth seed in the Western Conference with just a little over a month left in the season. Even if Los Angeles were to make the playoffs, it would be a quick exit. It’s better to just move on, sign some stars in the off-season, and try to make the most out of the last few years of LeBron’s prime.

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