LA Lakers can't trust LeBron James to take last-second shots, here's why

In their first game back since the NBA All-Star game, the Los Angeles Lakers took on the Charlotte Hornets at the Crypto.com Arena.

Considering their two superstars LeBron James and Luka Doncic were well-rested, most Laker fans expected an easy win for the 17-time NBA champions.

Unfortunately, after the final buzzer, the Lakers walked away with a three-point loss as they have slipped to a 32-21 record in the 2024-25 NBA season.

James, even at 40 years old, was blamed for the defeat, but for a good reason. After all, he had two chances to tie the game during the fourth quarter, only to miss both.

Head coach JJ Redick probably needs to get the ball off James' hands in the clutch as the 4x NBA MVP has been terrible since donning the iconic Purple and Gold jersey.

Wow.

(Via @GetUpESPN ) pic.twitter.com/EiZnMN5lVD
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 20, 2025

As seen in the above-attached graphic, James is 1-29 during the final five seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime since he has joined the Lakers.

Keeping that stat in mind, it's time for the 21x NBA All-Star to hand over the clutch duties to his teammates. Luckily, the Lakers have Luka Doncic, who should be able to handle this pressure.

Moreover, if Doncic wasn't having an off-shooting night, he may have taken the last two shots against the Hornets instead of inbounding the ball.

The Lakers will take on the Portland Trail Blazers next in hopes of snapping their two-game losing streak.