Lakers News: LeBron James Has To 'Reinvent' His Style, Ray Allen Says

LeBron James will have to reinvent himself as a player when he plays for the Los Angeles Lakers this upcoming season, according to former Miami Heat teammate Ray Allen.

James joined the Lakers on a four-year deal in July and will be tasked with guiding the franchise back to the glory years of winning championships, with Los Angeles having last won one in 2010 with Kobe Bryant.

James will have to do it — at least in the 2018/19 season — playing alongside a mixed roster of young prospects such as Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and Kyle Kuzma, and experienced veterans like Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee and Lance Stephenson among others.

Many have questioned how such a roster can gel together and contend for a championship, and when asked about how the dynamic would be between the younger and older players, Allen responded the veterans will have to play their part, including James.

"A lot is going to contend on those older players and how they ingratiate themselves to this new mix," Allen said on the "Dan Patrick Show" on Tuesday, as quoted on Slam. "Even LeBron has to reinvent himself."

James mostly carried the ball-handling duties for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, especially following the departure of Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics.

But as Allen points out, Cleveland had a lot of shooters that the 33-year-old could benefit from such as Kevin Love, J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver. That won't be the case as much in Los Angeles with both the youngsters and veterans, and Allen is interested in seeing what kind of player the Akron native will evolve into.

"It’s difficult to say [what kind of player LeBron will be] because you know how he’s been for us [Miami Heat] and what we’ve seen over years past," Allen explained. "When I played with him, he had a lot around him that could do different things, so he didn’t always have to carry the weight. Cleveland, it was a little different. He needed more shooters around him."

"(With the Lakers), he doesn’t have that many shooters around him, so how are they going to fit in? [Lance] Stephenson and [Rajon] Rondo both need the ball in their hands. Is (LeBron) going to give up more of that responsibility? Is he going to become somewhat of a spot-up shooter at the same time? Are those guys going to become shot-up shooters? It’s going to be interesting to watch."

The Lakers are expected to make the playoffs for the first time since 2013 this season but they are not expected to go far.

They have just a five percent chance of making the NBA Finals, according to a recent ESPN projection index, with the likes of the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder all favored to do better.

Regardless, James and co. will kick off their new era in Los Angeles against the Portland Trail Blazers on Oct. 18 at the Moda Center.