LeBron James hit with harsh reality check as Lakers struggle: 'It hasn't sunk in'

It's evident that LeBron James isn't the same player he was two years ago, let alone five years ago as he continues to try to find his place in the Los Angeles Lakers' offense this season.

James scored 36 points on Dec. 20 against the Los Angeles Clippers, 23 points against the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 23, and added 18 points on Thursday night against the Houston Rockets. However, the Lakers lost each of those games and James' plus-minus figures got worse with each game. He was minus-33 in Los Angeles' 119-96 loss to Houston.

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Sam Mitchell, a former NBA forward with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers who also coached in the league for the T'Wolves and Toronto Raptors, said this week on SiriusXM NBA Radio that James, who is about to be 41, wouldn't even be option No. 1 for the Washington Wizards at this point.

"This is what LeBron doesn't understand. It hasn't sunk in," Mitchell said. "Whatever team you go to, you're the third option. You're not going to a team when you're the first option anymore. If you went to the Washington Wizards, you would still not be the No. 1 option."

The Wizards are tied for the worst record in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers.

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Lakers head coach JJ Redick, who was especially upset with his team's performance against the Rockets, suggested on Saturday that James is becoming a problem for the offense.

"Since we've gotten Bron back, we haven't been as organized offensively. Too many random possessions. That's on me. It's those three things: defensive clarity, role clarity and offensive organization," Redick said.

The Lakers are 19-10 on the season and have lost six of their last 10 games.

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