Stop us if you've heard this one before but LeBron James's sensational effort on Wednesday night was wasted after his supporting cast let him down in a 131-114 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. The 39-year-old scored 39 points on 15-for-24 shooting but was powerless to keep things close as the Lakers played without two starters. It is only early November but Los Angeles is now 1-4 on the road and 4-4 overall as a trend is developing. James is playing like he's 29 or 19 but it's just not enough. And even though he's a physical specimen it's not a great sign if he's being tasked with carrying this team for 82 games just to earn entry into the postseason.
That's something rookie coach JJ Redick will have figure out.
