But we also know Father Time eventually wins every race, the question for the Lakers is can LeBron hold him off for another season (or two)? The Lakers simply cannot afford to lose LeBron for any length of time, or have his skills and efficiency erode much. He's L.A.'s best shot creator and it's not even close, they also need his gravity to draw defenders and open space for the role players, plus the Lakers have no way to replace the 27.4 points, 8.5 points, and 8.3 assists a game he brought last season.