There’s a certain irony at play in the current Western Conference semifinal series between the Lakers and the Thunder.
It revolves around two superstars, LeBron James and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Together, they boast six MVP awards—but strangely, in the early games of this series, it seems that these two standout players won’t determine the outcome.
Instead, it’s really about their teammates.
The dynamics shift entirely when James and SGA are on the court together.
The stats make that clear. If both stars play the entire game, it’s an intense battle. But as soon as one of them sits on the bench, everything changes.
Let’s start with LeBron. What he’s doing at 41 in these playoffs is just absurd.
When he’s out there, he’s in total command. He controls the game’s flow, outmaneuvers defenders, and not only leads the Lakers’ offense but does so without leading scorer Luka Doncic.
James has been on the court for 77% of the minutes in this series—pretty uncommon for someone in their 40s.
The Lakers remain competitive when he’s playing, consistently staying within striking distance, especially in the first half.
However, during the brief breaks he takes, the team seems to fall apart dramatically. In the 22 minutes he hasn’t played, the Lakers have a -18 point differential.
They would have certainly lost all of those bench minutes if not for a little burst from Austin Reeves in the second quarter.
Lakers coach JJ Redick noted, “It’s tough being undermanned. We’re doing our best with the rotation available.”
The fact is, when LeBron takes a seat, the Lakers not only struggle—they collapse.
Conversely, the Thunder face a completely different challenge.
When SGA is off the court, the Thunder actually gain an upper hand.
For instance, when SGA left the game with over 10 minutes left in the third quarter of Game 2, the Lakers were ahead 66-61. This should have been their moment to capitalize. Instead, it turned into a pivotal moment for the Thunder.
Oklahoma City went on a 32-14 run in that stretch while SGA was sidelined due to foul trouble.
Redick recalled, “In the second half, we got blitzed. 32-14. Seven turnovers. They made 14 free throws during that time.”
Through just two games, the Thunder are a remarkable +26 when SGA isn’t in play, which makes you think maybe they should keep him off for longer.
Yes, the Thunder handily defeated the Lakers even without their likely MVP.
Meanwhile, the Lakers seem to do quite well when their star players are resting.
That’s a 44-point swing in minutes contributed by non-stars during the two games, which the Thunder won by a total of 36 points.
You don’t need deep analytics to grasp this basic math. With both stars, the series has gone beyond expectations, but when they sit, it’s as if things fall apart.
This series has always been about more than just James versus SGA. It’s about team structure, depth, and identity.
OKC has all three elements while the Lakers rely on an aging superstar.
There are other issues plaguing the Lakers as well.
They’re getting ahead of themselves, totaling 37 turnovers and getting outscored 38-17 in second-chance points, which is like handing away possessions for free.
Yet, these seem more like symptoms rather than the root problem. The real issue is how the team performs when James and SGA aren’t on the court.
The Lakers have managed to slow SGA through various defensive strategies, but once he’s gone, it slips back to man-to-man. The focus diminishes, and communication takes a hit.
Lakers guard Luke Kennard said, “We need to be physical. We really have to defend hard when Shai is off the floor.”
Kennard and Reeves will need to step up offensively to fill in for LeBron’s rests.
During those minutes without SGA, the Lakers must treat the Thunder’s lead player as if he were the reigning MVP. They’ll need to apply pressure and force mistakes.
Or perhaps they could revert to the solid, connected defense they exhibited against the Rockets when Kevin Durant was unavailable.
At this moment, the series isn’t really about the two stars at all.
It’s about everything that occurs in their absence.
