On Tuesday, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James officially kicked off his historic 23rd season. While most of Lakers Nation was thrilled to see the veteran forward back in action, there was also considerable interest in how he would perform following the long hiatus, particularly as he adjusts to a new role. So, how did James’ regular-season debut turn out?

LeBron wasted no time addressing his critics, who believed he might disrupt the team’s chemistry upon his return. The Lakers forward recorded a double-double, scoring 11 points and dishing out 12 assists in about 30 minutes of play. He took on more of a playmaking role rather than his usual position as the primary scorer, something head coach JJ Redick indicated would be a common theme in upcoming games.

When asked about his comfort level with James playing as a facilitator, Redick responded, “Yeah, I mean, we feel really comfortable with both LeBron and Luka in the post. I think DA (Deandre Ayton) is like a flasher in that restricted area. He’s a good outlet for us because he has such a nice touch. We got a lob to him in the first half, which wasn’t a dunk.“

Redick further elaborated, “He brings another dynamic to our post game. We’ve got the primary option out with the ball, taller kick-out options, but then he adds a third option in that mid-paint area. He does that on his rolls too, whether it’s against a blitz or in drop coverage.“

“But we’re going to post those guys, we’ll be the ball with them, or we like having the ball with them, either in the post or at the elbow. They’re big decision makers and they’re going to generate good shots for us.” The Lakers’ second-year head coach stated that he’s set to play LeBron James as a post-feeder, as he’s capable of generating good looks for Ayton.

Well, that’s exactly what we saw on Tuesday against the Utah Jazz as the veteran forward made a couple of slick plays to assist Deandre Ayton, including the first-half layup JJ Redick mentioned. Nonetheless, the Lakers’ head coach also clarified that this doesn’t mean James won’t be taking any shots; he emphasized the perennial All-Star’s basketball IQ, as he confirmed a change in his plans against Utah.

JJ Redick attests to making a change in his initial plan against Utah

It’s safe to say that the Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff and management would have been extremely cautious about LeBron James’ highly anticipated return. That’s because ideally, they want to sustain the veteran forward’s health throughout the grueling 82-game season and also during the playoffs. However, that did not quite go according to plan.

That’s because even though JJ Redick stated that the 40-year-old performed much better than his expectations, he had to play him longer than he initially planned. “I thought it was better than expected. We wanted to keep him around 28. He played 29:37, and he would have been able to finish the game had we needed him. So I thought it was better than expected,” he said.

“But everybody’s different. I don’t expect him getting to peak shape or LeBron shape. I don’t expect it to take long.” Redick further emphasized. Although Redick did not pinpoint the reason that prompted him and the rest of the staff to allow James to play longer than expected, it would’ve been the Jazz putting on an impressive 71-point first-half performance.

Nonetheless, Redick later cleared the air around LeBron James’ minutes as he pointed out that the veteran could’ve clocked in even more minutes if the need arose. Well, that’s a great sign, especially with him just returning from such a massive sciatica injury that forced him to stay on the sidelines for so long. Now, we can hope to see more of King James, as the Lakers once again will suit up against Utah on Sunday.