Los Angeles Lakers: 2018-19 player grades for LeBron James

Final Grade

This was arguably the worst season of LeBron James’ professional career.

After making eight straight NBA Finals appearances from 2011-18, LeBron missed the entire playoffs this year for only the third time in his career. The last time was in 2005, but even that Cleveland Cavaliers team posted a winning record. This season was LeBron’s least successful since his rookie year, when the Cavs won 35 games.

He did miss more games than usual with injuries, and can’t be blamed for that. But the bottom line is that the Lakers missed the playoffs, and some of that failure did fall on LeBron’s shoulders even when he was healthy.

Individually, LeBron was left off the All-NBA First Team for the first time since 2007. This year could also be the first in his career that he finishes outside the top-10 in league MVP voting.

He was at his worst defensively and at the free throw line.

That being said, LeBron’s overall worst is still better than the vast majority of players in the world.

Only one player in the NBA this season averaged at least 27 points, eight rebounds and eight assists per game, and that player was LeBron James. Only four perimeter players — Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, Giannis Antetokoumpo and LeBron — shot at least 51 percent from the field.

LeBron was one of just 13 players to post a 50-point game this season. He was one of only five players to record at least eight triple-doubles. He continued his streak of All-NBA and All-Star Game nods.

It doesn’t sound right to say LeBron had a bad 2018-19 season, according to normal standards. But LeBron isn’t normal. By the lofty standards he has created, it was a bad season.

Grade: B-