It has really changed! James in the new season is obviously different from before!

"The new Lakers lineup doesn't matter to me. I am a positionless player. I can do anything on the court. There is no team or club in the world that I cannot integrate into."

This is what the 40-year-old James said in the 23rd season of his career.

In the just-concluded first Los Angeles Derby of the new season, which was also an NBA Cup game, the Lakers defeated their rival Clippers and won five consecutive games.

Doncic scored 24 points in the first quarter, the highest score by a Lakers player in a single quarter since Kobe Bryant in 2007.

But Dongzi is prone to breaking out when facing the Clippers. This is not news for a long time.

Today's game, no, to be precise, it was the last three Lakers games. My biggest feeling is:

James is really changing.

A pre-match data: James' ball possession rate in the new season (20.3%) has dropped sharply compared to his career average (31.46%).

Reminds me of when he made his debut, he actively asked the team to play Doncic as the final player during the starting introduction. This seemed to be a declaration.

A word we often say is "give way".

Even "ball-blind" and "spectators" like us know that how to distribute the ball with the Lakers' lineup will become a big problem.

It is impossible for Redick not to know that LeBron, who has been on the battlefield for a long time, knows better than the head coach.

So, the old man focused on strengthening his off-ball finishing ability during the offseason, and the proportion of catch-and-shoot training reached a career peak.

Today, what we see is a different James from the past.

The Lakers lack ball handlers? No.

Dongzi is the number one ball-handling core in the league today.

Reeves has also made great progress on offense with the ball this season.

If Lao Zhan continues to direct traffic at the top of various arcs as he did in the past, it means that someone from the other two brothers will always have to stand in the bottom corner and smoke.

Catching and shooting is not Doncic’s style at all.

In this case, Lao Zhan is doing more of this job now.

What are his arrangements now?

Started the game and played for about 6 minutes. When there was a fast break, he resolutely switched. The lethality of the old bulldozer was still among the top in the league.

When fighting in a positional battle, open up space and wait for opportunities.

The most typical goal today was when he received a pass from Xiao Li in the fourth quarter and successfully "dismantled the bomb".

That was a key goal that widened the score difference.

As for catching Zubac’s misplacements, that’s what he is good at.

It seems that the play style is very "fishy", but looking at the data, 25+6+6 is easy and efficient. (Dongzi had 43 points, 9 rebounds and 13 assists, Rivers had 31 points and 9 rebounds)

If it was the intensity today, you could let James play 6 quarters, which might be the easiest moment in his career.

Looking at the opposite James, his hips are strained...

"Transformation" is what James must do at this stage of his career.

James has the ability to take over certain games, but you will find that he has long been unable to sustain a high level of performance in a series.

When he is attacking, you cannot ask for defense, and vice versa.

Pelinka also said the truth:

"If you look around the entire league, those successful teams are all young. Everyone plays fast and is full of physical confrontation."

James does not lack honors, let alone good data. This kind of role positioning now has only benefits for himself and the Lakers.

We are not saying that if he changes the Lakers, they will be able to rush out of the Western Conference and shout five words. The team's defensive problems are huge. At this level, they cannot beat a super strong team like the Thunder.

However, if the Lakers want to pursue higher goals, then the biggest core must be Doncic.

The priorities must be clearly defined around whom to fight.

James is so smart, of course he knows.