LeBron James ready to ‘pick his spot’ in tough defensive matchups like Kevin Durant
The Los Angeles Lakers put up a valiant effort against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, but ultimately fell short. The defensive effort in the second half was particularly impressive, with LeBron James also holding off a challenge from Suns defensive star Kevin Durant.
In his 21st season, LeBron wasn’t expected to have to protect one of the best scorers in NBA history, but with injuries to Jared Vanderbilt and Cam Reddish, James was up to the task.
After the game, LeBron again brought up the possibility of facing Durant, who they have a lot in common with, and said he plans to step up and protect other stars in the future.
When asked how he could take on the task of protecting other stars, James replied, “I could definitely take my stand on that.” “We know the trends. “I played a game with KD, KD played a game with me, we had a lot of games tonight. So, especially trying to pick up the pace and make sure we get our guys involved and try to shut down one of the biggest players in the game.
It was difficult when I was there. But we are made that way. We have players with exactly that kind of physique and we can meet that challenge. So it was definitely fun to be on the same floor as KD. ”
LeBron has so much responsibility offensively for the Lakers that ideally he wouldn’t need to be the top defensive option either. But with key defenders injured, including Vanderbilt, he’s going to have to take on those duties at times as well, and he’s going to do that to help this team.
James may have to do it again when the Lakers take on the Los Angeles Clippers in their next game, and that means one more matchup with Kawhi Leonard. But if called upon, LeBron will rise to the challenge and everyone should be willing to do whatever it takes to help the Lakers win. LeBron James: Lakers attack and get to the free-throw line, that’s ‘what we have to do’
The other biggest talking point in this game was the Lakers’ lack of free throws. Although the Lakers shot the deep ball well, they only got to the line eight times, which was a big difference from the Lakers. LeBron James has made it clear that the Lakers’ identity lies in attacking the rim and getting to the line.
“That’s who we are,” James said. “But a lot of people…a lot of coaches, a lot of teams think that all the Lakers do is get to the free throw line. It’s like, ‘We’re going to get to the free throw line.’ “I mean, we have hitters and that’s what we’re supposed to do.
We have forwards and yes, we shoot the ball from the perimeter, but we shoot between 40 and 3-pointers per game. You will never make 50 successful ones. We are not that team. We can’t afford to be on a team like that, so we move on to the paint, which is what we’re really good at. We’re definitely not the ones with eight free throws. “It’s true that I got hit a few times tonight on my way to the paint unscheduled, but that’s the reality.”
Possibility of last appearance as road team in Crypto.com Arena
After decades in the same arena, the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers may meet for the last time at Crypto.com Arena, with the former being the road team. Barring a playoff game, the Clippers will next host the Lakers at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood.
This matchup has been an interesting cross-town rivalry over the years, but in recent memory the Clippers owned the purple and gold during the regular season. The Clippers have already won 11 straight against the Lakers, and LeBron James and Anthony Davis were able to win their first two games of the season.
January Game 23 was the last meeting between the two teams, with the Clippers winning 127-116, but the Lakers played without James in that game. James and Davis will be available for the deciding final game of the season after Sunday’s disappointing loss to the Phoenix Suns. The opposing team will be without Paul George, who is recovering from a knee injury, and starting center Ivica Zubac, who is battling illness. With two Clippers starters out, the game will be less entertaining, but the Lakers will have a better chance of pulling off a come-from-behind victory. In their last matchup, Los Angeles was too aggressive to stop the Clippers.
Without George, the focus will shift to James Harden and Kawhi Leonard running the offense. However, limiting role players like Norman Powell, Terrence Mann and Russell Westbrook may be more important for the Lakers as it limits their offense.
The Clippers are a team that excels at 3-point shooting, making 14 of 27 (51.9%) in their last game, so staying on the 3-point line will be key. Another key for the Lakers is ending defensive possessions with rebounds after being killed off by the Suns’ offense. Limiting second chance opportunities is very important and will require group work with Davis.
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