Pleasant to watch! LeBron James gave 12 assists in his first season of the season, passed and shot casually until he was 45?

How do you evaluate Lao Zhan’s season debut? Hayes, Ayton, Vincent, Laravia: Hiccup~

Lao James affects the game with his passing, which is wonderful, perfect, and pleasing to the eye.

Lao Zhan is now 40 years old and 324 days old. The last time he played was the Lakers VS Timberwolves G5 on May 1, 2025. He has not played a game for more than six months. It is the 23rd season of his career. Considering his age, competitive status and influence on the court, it is not too much to get a full score in the first game of the season.

Lao Zhan is willing to play the green leaf, completely giving up the ball rights to Doncic and Reeves, transforming into a high-level off-ball support, and the Lakers team atmosphere is harmonious.

Lao Zhan played for 29 minutes and 37 seconds, taking only 7 shots in the game. His number of shots was the least among the starting lineup!

Doncic took 22 shots, Reeves took 11 shots, Ayton took 13 shots, LeBron James took 7 shots, and Hachimura took 8 shots. The positioning is similar: when partnering with Doncic, An Xin acts as a fixed-point shooter without the ball, squatting in the corner to smoke, and the ball and the stage are given to Doncic and Ayton in pick-and-rolls. This is also the most mainstream play style of the Lakers today. Everyone is clear about Doncic's first core position and unlimited firing rights.

Lao Zhan hit two assisted fixed-point three-pointers in the second quarter. The first was a pass from Reeves, and the second was a pass from Doncic. Lao Zhan's off-ball three-point shooting ability can ensure that he can play until the age of 45 at will. Even if he is not the core ball-handling core, it is more than enough to provide support when a fixed-point shooter holds the ball for Doncic and Reeves.

At this age, Lao Zhan actually doesn’t want to be the core of the court for a long time. The Lakers now have Doncic and Reeves as the core of the ball. Lao Zhan’s off-ball ability can be perfectly adapted, and he can be an off-ball shooter with peace of mind. Lao Zhan's comeback did not destroy the Lakers' existing chemical reaction. Lao Zhan's ability to play without the ball also fundamentally determines the scientificity and rationality of the Lakers' three-core coexistence in the new season.

For a top four team in the Western Conference with a current winning rate of over 70%, having Lao Zhan is even more powerful.

The most intuitive impact of Lao James' comeback is to improve the Lakers' frontcourt height, striker strength and rotation thickness. After all, with Doncic, Reeves, Rui Hachimura, and Ayton determining the four starting positions, a large striker with three-point ability will definitely be more useful in the starting lineup than Smart, who is relatively short and has unstable shooting.

Lao Zhan has improved the core competitiveness of the Lakers during the rotation period from a macro perspective. The Lakers can achieve a rotation of three ball-handlers in pairs, which is far higher than the upper limit of Doncic and Reeves taking turns to lead the team alone.

Redick's rotation logic is that James will take a half-quarter break in the first and third quarters, Smart replaces James, and Reeves and Doncic will lead the rotation; Reeves will rest again, and Doncic + James will lead the rotation to complete the first and third quarters; Doncic will play the entire first and third quarters and take a break, and James and Reeves will lead the transition period in the second and fourth quarters.

That is to allow Lao Zhan to get sufficient rest between quarters and participate in the ending of each quarter. The Lakers always maintain a dual-court brain on the court. Ayton and Hayes relay, and the one inside and four outside system operates in an orderly manner.

Doncic averaged 34.6 points and 9 assists per game this season, Reeves averaged 28.1 points and 7.6 assists per game, and Lao James had 11 points and 12 assists in this campaign. The Lakers actually have three ball handlers who can average at least 20 points and 7 assists per game, and their offensive development capabilities are luxurious.

Passing vision and shooting ability are the foundation for Lao Zhan to play high-level games after the age of 40. His dual attributes with and without the ball truly allow him to play until the age of 45.

At this age, Lao Zhanqiang can be both a core player with the ball and a secondary attacker without the ball. The most important thing is that he has the ability to shoot without the ball without dragging the space.

Lao Zhan is very clear about his current position. At this age, holding the ball and throwing it from the beginning is obviously a big problem for his physical fitness. Doncic is 26 years old and Reeves is 27 years old. The backcourt combination is relatively young and their abilities are obvious to all. Lao Zhan chose to be a green leaf with peace of mind, handing the ball to the young core, and retreating to the second line when partnering with a dual-core team.

The Lakers also respect Lao James very much, and took the initiative to hand over the possession of the ball in the transition period to Lao Zhan to control the court and lead the substitutes. Hayes, Vincent, and Laravia were directly overwhelmed. Lao Zhan's passing is a feast for the eyes, and it's wonderful. After all, he won the assists title in the 2019-20 season. Whether he holds the ball in a pick-and-roll to make a cake for the inside, or breaks through a large area to move the ball to find the shooter, this is the "basic thing to do" engraved in his bones - 23 seasons, the length of his career is even older than that of many young players, and his qualifications and experience are unparalleled.

The passing ability and shooting ability determine that Lao James still has irreplaceable value even if he is over 40 years old. Any team is lucky to have Lao James.

This season is Lao Zhan’s 8th season with the Lakers. Without Lao Zhan, the Lakers would not be what they are today.

In the summer of 2016, Kobe Bryant retired, and no big-name stars were willing to join the Los Angeles Lakers, who were in the rebuilding period. The management had nowhere to spend the money, and even gave Luol Deng 72 million in four years and Mozgov 64 million in four years. James joined the Lakers as a free agent in the summer of 2018, truly saving the purple and gold giants in the "post-Kobe era".

In July 2019, the Lakers acquired Big Eyebrow through a trade. The LeBron James team-up won the 17th championship trophy in team history in their first season together. In February 2025, the Lakers traded Big Eyebrow for Doncic, ensuring a prosperous future for the next ten years.

Don’t forget the man who dug the well. It is no exaggeration. The Lakers’ glory in the past seven years cannot be separated from Lao Zhan.

Lao Zhan’s salary this season is 52.63 million, and every point he earned in the past. Defensive decline is inevitable as he gets older, but his off-the-ball ability, field control ability and shooting ability can still serve as a qualified starting striker..

40 years and 324 days old, not playing an NBA game for more than six months, and delivering 12 assists in the first season of the season. Is it too much to give full marks to such a debut performance?

If there is an old man in the family, it is like having a treasure. Let’s take a look and cherish it!