An assistant coach who previously worked with LeBron James told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that the Los Angeles Lakers star’s early-season production slump is something they have never seen from him before.

James shot below 50 percent for six straight games between Nov. 23 and Dec. 2, his longest such streak since his 2003-04 rookie season.

“He had that stretch where he looked probably as human as he’s never looked in his career,” the assistant coach told McMenamin. “It seems like he’s prolonged it more than anybody ever has, but at some point, he’s going to just reach a point where he can’t do it.

“And it seems like that day is getting closer and closer now. I don’t think it’s yet. I think that was just a rough stretch, but I think it is eye-opening to see it like, ‘Oh f–k, he’s not God.’ He’s, at some point, going to not be able to do this anymore.”

A scout in the Western Conference meanwhile told McMenamin that first-year head coach JJ Redick needs to do a better job of engaging James, who is set to miss his second straight game on Friday.

“They will go nowhere if Redick and staff don’t find a way to challenge him beyond his historic numbers,” the scout said, per McMenamin. “The supporting cast is always going to follow his lead.

“When they have these horrible games, it’s a reflection of him being able to cruise and still get great stats. They can’t cruise.”

The Lakers enter the weekend ranked No. 8 in the West with a 13-11 record.

That stretch has contained some particularly ugly defeats. Five of the team’s 11 losses were decided by at least 24 points, highlighted by what James called an “embarrassing” 41-point blowout by the Miami Heat on Dec. 4.

James missed Sunday’s win over the Portland Trail Blazers with left foot soreness after saying before the season that he planned to play in all 82 games. He was absent from practice this week due to personal reasons and will miss his second straight game on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

James, who turns 40 later this month, is already the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and is set to break more offensive records during his 22nd season in the league.

But given the Lakers’ struggles on the other end of the court, which have the team heading into the weekend ranked bottom-four in both paint and transition defense, Redick may need more changes in addition to James’ return in order to position Los Angeles as a playoff contender next spring.