“We didn’t play our best game and we still found a way to win,” Luka Doncic said after the Lakers edged the Jazz 108-106 for their fourth straight win. Los Angeles built a 13-point lead in the fourth, but Utah stormed back, trimming it to two as Keyonte George’s potential game-winner rattled out. With missed foul calls noted in the NBA’s postgame report, those final minutes proved decisive, any shift there, and the result could have easily gone the other way. 

The question now looming over the Lakers is whether the trio of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James can truly sync well enough to form a title-contending lineup. NBA legend Reggie Miller weighed in on The Dan Patrick Show, highlighting the importance of chemistry in crunch time: “So once they figure out that dynamic of crunch time…they’ve got to figure out their closing moment and action between those three players.” The Jazz game on Sunday offered a glimpse of the challenge, with the final minutes exposing some uncertainty over roles and decision-making.

Miller further broke down, “The last two minutes were a little kind of wild because they didn’t know… it was between Austin Reaves and Luka and LeBron and all they kept running was high screening role with LeBron being the screener. At some point when LeBron has his legs, he has his wind, and he’s back in full shape, no back issues, you assume at some point LeBron’s going to have the ball with some of these high screening roles.”

Even before LeBron’s 14-game hiatus ended, the balance between Reaves and Doncic with LeBron’s involvement has been the central question. 

The Lakers had been cruising without LeBron, posting a solid 10-4 record thanks to Doncic and AR, who were combining for over 62 points per game. Head coach JJ Redick even suggested that Reaves should step up as a shot-caller. Naturally, the team had been leaning on the duo more heavily. So when LeBron returned, there was chatter that the minutes and roles of Luka and Reaves might take a hit. But the numbers tell a different story.

Meanwhile, LeBron has been vocal and optimistic about integrating into the already in-sync lineup. “I can fit in with anybody. I don’t even understand why that was even a question. What’s wrong with these people out here? I can fit in right away with anybody,” James said.

Miller had also weighed in earlier on LeBron’s adaptability, noting, “You don’t play in this league for 22 plus years like LeBron has done and not be able to adapt,” Miller said.

Some, however, have suggested a more radical idea: “For this to work, like when LeBron comes back, LeBron got to come off the bench,” Paul Pierce said. The focus, however, now shifts to Redick and how he balances their strengths to forge a true title. 

LeBron’s new role: Redick’s strategy in action

Miller raised a big question about how JJ Redick is managing LeBron on the Lakers. He said, “I think now JJ Redick has his full complement of players. The question I think going forward is how is he going to navigate? You’ve got Luka averaging 34 and a half. You’ve got Austin Reaves the second leading scorer at around 28… When was the last time LeBron James was the fifth leading scorer on his team? He’s averaging 14 points. Um, so how does JJ navigate that…”

The Lakers’ scoring hierarchy this season highlights an unusual setup. Doncic leads the way with 34.5 points per game, followed by Reaves at 27.6, and Ayton contributing 15.5. Meanwhile, James, surprisingly, is averaging just 14 points per game, making him the team’s fifth-leading scorer. But that’s partly because he’s only played two games so far.

Redick’s approach to LeBron this season has been smart, seeing him not just as a scorer but as a primary ballhandler and facilitator. In his two games back, LeBron James is averaging 14 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 10 assists per contest while shooting 48% from the field. Redick explained the plan clearly: “we feel really comfortable with both LeBron and Luka in the post…He brings another dynamic to our post game…” The Lakers head coach has positioned LeBron as a post-feeder. 

Even better, LeBron has exceeded expectations in his return. “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,” Redick said after Bron’s debut. With Luka and Reaves doing the heavy scoring, Redick can challenge LeBron with specific roles and still rely on him in critical moments.