LeBron James is always going to be the centerpiece of fantasy basketball discussions. Unfortunately for players and analysts, his absence only makes things more difficult for all. With the new season rapidly approaching, James finds himself at a crossroads. Unfortunately, despite his staggering statistics, troubling health issues have kept his future up in the air. During his first five-year tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers, James averaged a mere 55.6 games per year. Questions about his durability immediately creeped back in, notably after the last two seasons, where the pandemic limited his time on the court by an estimated 10 games per season.
James is still out these days with sciatica. This injury has cost him the entire preseason and the beginning of the regular season. Considering this injury, there are questions not only about his progress and readiness, but his long-term health as well. Furthermore, changing dynamics on the court as he prepares to play alongside Luka Doncic introduce additional uncertainty regarding his role and performance metrics for the upcoming season.
Even prior to the recent injury news, analysts labeled James as the most difficult player to project for this fantasy season. Last year, he ranked seventh in fantasy points per game and ninth in total fantasy points, solidifying his place among the top ten players in the NBA. He enters the season riding an impressive wave of goodwill. He’s been a top 20 player for fantasy basketball thus far in points leagues and category leagues.
His draft position reflects this complexity. He could be a high-risk, high-reward late-first-round pick, or the more conservative late-second/third-round pick slide. Applying that logic to the recent announcement means that James’s estimated games played just went from 69 to 66. This amendment makes the debate among drafters much harder on the dangers of picking him even greater.
Funnily enough, James has proven just as magnetic beyond the court as well. He recently previewed a big “Second Decision” announcement that instead turned into an ad buy related gimmick. But this playful engagement doesn’t leave a mark on his razor-sharp business decisions. He made the decision to place himself on an expiring deal this season. Beyond that, he just recently clarified that he’s not going to wait for his son, Bryce James, to reach the NBA before retiring.
Leave a Reply