The four-time MVP admitted after Thursday’s 104-96 win over the Indiana Pacers that he has struggled with striking the right balance between initiating the attack and relying on his teammates to take over.

James admitted that he thought he would have less responsibility on his plate to make plays when he pondered the season ahead after joining the Lakers as a free agent this summer.

“I figured I wouldn’t have the ball in my hands as much coming into the season knowing we have multiple ball handlers on our team with Zo and ‘Do,” James said. “BI [Brandon Ingram], Lance [Stephenson], Kuz [Kyle Kuzma] as well. Those guys have the ability to make plays as well. But I’m available any time we need a play to be made. … [It] is a challenge for me and is an adjustment for me. It’s whatever it takes to try to help our ball club be as great as we can be toward the end of the season. And at the same time getting better every day.”

Lakers coach Luke Walton said it is all about finding the right time in the game for James to go full bore, without feeling the need to do so for the entire 48 minutes.

“He’s always going to have a lot of responsibility because of how good he is,” Walton said. “And we’re going to continue to try to have other players make plays, and I think we’re doing that, and there’s times in the game where you’re LeBron James or you’re whoever the best player on the team, you’re going to take over. And he knows when those times are. And he’s good at that. Now we have to continue to get good at, better at, those other times where we’re just playing basketball. And I thought we did that tonight, and fourth-quarter time he did his thing, but we’re continuing to grow to where it’s not just him all of the time.”

LeBron will need to carry this team, just like he had carry most of his teams in Cleveland. It’s all about pacing himself, so when the playoffs arrive, he’s 100% healthy in order to dominate. 

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