LeBron James on how the Lakers' roster composition helps him conserve energy

In recent seasons, the Los Angeles Lakers have relied heavily on LeBron James playing excellent basketball to win games. Last season they struggled when he was benched, and that contributed to them winning just 47 games and losing in the first round of the playoffs.

But they're off to a 3-0 start this season, even if James has only played a few brief moments of excellent ball. After hitting 6 of 16 in the first three quarters of Saturday's game against the Sacramento Kings, he entered the wayback machine in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. He scored 16 points in a span of just under four minutes, starting an unreal 21-0 run that ended in a 131-127 victory.

James emphasized that the composition of the team allows him to decide when to turn it on, thus conserving his finite energy.

Over the course of last season and the changes, management has transformed a squad that was once very mediocre into one that has plenty of talent, at least on offense. A January 2023 trade brought them forward Rui Hachimura, and just weeks later they traded the beleaguered Russell Westbrook for D'Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt.

Additionally, the development of guard Austin Reaves and potential rookie Dalton Knecht who have come into play this season has made the Lakers look like a very solid squad.

They still have a very long way to go, but the mood around the team hasn't seemed this positive in a long time.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: LeBron James on how the Lakers' roster composition helps him conserve energy