While LeBron James is sidelined with an injury, a dangerous narrative is taking hold in Los Angeles: the Lakers might actually be better without him.

With the team winning thanks to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the idea that LA might be better without him on the floor is gaining traction. However, his longtime agent and close friend, Rich Paul, has now spoken out to set the record straight, calling the entire premise of the argument misguided.

“I hate to keep talking about the Lakers,” Paul joked on the Game Over podcast. “But you hear all the nonsense about the team being better without LeBron. I’ve never seen a team in my life that would be better without LeBron James.”

Co-host Max Kellerman pushed back slightly, wondering whether the Lakers roster as currently constructed doesn’t mesh with his skillset. Paul shut that down quickly, too, and he’s not wrong. James has long been known as perhaps the greatest floor raiser in the history of the game, taking depleted and talent-deprived rosters to even the Finals in his prime.

However, things are different this year. Even the numbers paint a bleak picture for James. In the minutes with the King on the floor, LA‘s offensive rating drops from 5.0 points above league average to just 1.3 points above. Meanwhile, their defensive rating worsens, going from 0.4 points better than league average to 0.9 points worse. This amounts to the team’s net rating being nearly 4.3 points higher with James off the floor.

Rich Paul Says Los Angeles Lakers Still Figuring Out How to Use LeBron James

According to Rich Paul, the Los Angeles Lakers are undergoing a complicated adjustment period involving LeBron James’ role in the offense. As James ages, the franchise is pivoting towards Luka Doncic. This requires reworking LeBron’s traditional role as the primary ball-handler and integrating him into new offensive schemes

“For a guy that’s been on the ball for so long, how do you play him off the ball?” Paul highlighted. “You’re putting him in the corner because that’s supposed to be second-side action.”

As Kellerman aptly noted, these sets aren’t where James belongs, as the tactics under head coach JJ Redick may not be maximizing his strength. At times, LA has taken to putting him in the corner as a part of second-side actions, a poor fit, especially with his three-point percentage drop from 39% last season to 32% this year, making him a less reliable threat when spaced in the corner.

Beyond the plays, Paul also pointed to injuries as a major reason for the team not having the right balance. He’s not wrong; the trio of James, Doncic, and Austin Reaves has played just 21 games this season. In the 21 games the trio has played together, the Lakers are 16-5, suggesting that when healthy, they are one of the league’s top teams.