Rich Paul feels that the LeBron James narrative is getting a little old, especially with him having left the Lakers. The sports agent pointed to the team’s defensive personnel as the real reason for the improvement, not James leaving Los Angeles and Luka Doncic taking on more responsibility.
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During his discussion with Max Kellerman, the disagreement was clear: Paul sees roster construction, not a departure. The Lakers are better. Paul says the credit belongs somewhere else.
When the conversation turned to whether Doncic had become more motivated after James was moved, Paul challenged the connection.
“But what does LeBron have to do with it? LeBron don’t have anything to do with that,” he said on NBA Courtside.
He reinforced his position shortly afterward, questioning the media’s tendency to bring James into discussions about the current Lakers team.
“No. I think as media, we gotta get out of the habit of mentioning LeBron,” he clarified. “That man don’t have nothing to do with this year, it don’t have nothing to do with, no he doesn’t.”
Rather than focusing on James’ departure, Paul highlighted the players Los Angeles had brought together to strengthen its defense.
“[They] have done a great job of, from a personnel perspective, of putting the pieces together that plays a better team defensive game,” he added. “I’ve been to, I’ve watched several games and been to one. And when you look at the guys that have been at it, the Sextons, the Thybulles, Kessler.”
Paul pointed to Walker Kessler, Matisse Thybulle, and Collin Sexton as examples of the front office’s offensive strategy paying off. He then singled out Kessler’s impact and Vanderbilt’s energy.
“Kessler has been a revelation,” he added. “You know, and you’ve got guys like Vanderbilt, who’s, you know, when allowed to play, has come off the bench. He’s active and energised and things like that.”
Paul described how sending an additional defender toward the ball can leave other players open and put pressure on the defense to make the right rotations and acknowledged that the defensive approach also comes with an offensive trade-off. When opponents begin focusing more attention on Doncic, the other players must contribute offensively.
The Lakers’ defensive identity comes with an offensive trade-off. Loading the floor with defenders like Matisse Thybulle, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Walker Kessler can make life difficult for opponents, but it also risks crowding the paint and shrinking driving lanes.
The discussion also touched on Doncic’s conditioning and whether having the team built around him influenced his preparation. Paul rejected the suggestion that playing alongside another star should determine how a player approaches his fitness.
“That’s a choice you make,” he said. “But why would you go into somewhere in worse shape because someone else is there? I think that’s very elementary of us to think that way.”
For Paul, the Lakers’ progress should be understood through the personnel they have assembled and the defensive approach they are developing. He believes the contributions of the players around Doncic deserve attention without making James’ departure the explanation for the team’s current performances.