The Los Angeles Lakers have been in a rough spot as of late, entering Friday's contest against the Memphis Grizzlies with a 1-4 record in their last five games. With the team looking to make adjustments and Austin Reaves still sidelined due to injury, it was on the shoulders of LeBron James and Luka Doncic to lead the Lakers.

It came down to a battle of the Grizzlies' bench, who combined for 66 points, and the Lakers' star duo, which resulted in a narrow 128-121 victory for Los Angeles. Now 41 years old, James still looks like the all-time great he's been for over two decades, notching 31 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in the win.

There's no doubt that head coach JJ Redick has been frustrated over the past four games, especially given his reaction after the team's loss on Christmas Day to the Houston Rockets. After the win, Redick was asked about James, praising the star forward for his ability to respond.

"He was phenomenal. There was just a few stretches there where they made runs, and the response from him...it's felt like nearly every time we needed a bucket, he just kind of willed...He was phenomenal tonight," Redick said.

James probably didn't wish he had four turnovers, but there was more good than bad, finishing with a +11 plus-minus in 36 minutes of action. His three-point shooting was the only poor part of his shooting performance, as he went 1-for-5, but connected on 11-of-13 shots inside the arc and went perfect on all six free throw attempts.

Going into this season, nobody was expecting LeBron to be a player who would need to carry the Lakers consistently to try to lead them to wins. With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves there, it's allowed LeBron to take a step back, but with the Lakers struggling, it's times like these where the team needs him most.

Unfortunately, the problems with the Lakers haven't magically been fixed by defeating the Memphis Grizzlies. Of course, an eventual return from Reaves will help the offense out, but there are still issues to be fixed on both ends of the floor.

Turnovers continue to be an issue, with Doncic recording four or more turnovers in each of his last five games. James isn't too far off, combining for nine in his past two contests.

Additionally, Deandre Ayton has noticeably slowed down since his hot start this season, ending Friday's game with just four points and six rebounds. The trade deadline is now around a month away, and the Lakers will be very involved if they want to try to form a contending roster this season.