LeBron’s eleven friends, or what to expect from the Lakers

“Congratulations, LeBron. It looks like he just won his fourth league title. Easy hike, “sports analyst Skip Bayless shared his take on Twitter. And really, when did James get lucky in the playoffs? I don’t remember right away. Maybe in 2011, where West’s winner San Antonio was eliminated in the first round and the Lakers champion in the second. And in the final of “Hit” James faced “Mavericks” Dirk and his veteran teammates. Oh stop! The King lost that tiebreaker.

Perhaps this was the only time he lost to a team with a pronounced star. All other finals, James lost to strong teams with a systematic defense and polished offense for years, where there were many good players and it is not known from whom to expect danger. LeBron, on the other hand, dragged his partners only on his shoulders.

It is noteworthy that “Denver”, “Miami” and “Boston” simply profess team basketball (it’s not up to you to close out Harden or Lillard, and the round is in the hat). Add in the steel balls of Jokic and company, and we have the worst opponents for the Lakers leader. So is LeBron already champion?

Why are the Lakers the championship favorites?

The arrival of James to the team marked high goals for the Los Angeles team. But the real contender for the title became “lake” after promising youngsters transitioned to “New Orleans” in exchange for Anthony Davis. As you know, offense wins games and defense wins titles. It is important to note that at the beginning of this season, the team’s general manager, Rob Pelinka, managed the LAL bench. Green, Rondo, McGee and “Superman” Howard added experience and quality, especially in the defense of the team. The quality indicator is the series with the Rockets, where Harden and company averaged 117.8 points per game in the regular season, 110.4 points in the series with Oklahoma and 103.8 points in games with LeBron. If you take the same regular season, your offensive rating is between Charlotte and New York! The same “Oklahoma” sent “Houston” 104 points on average per game (only “Indiana” and “Philadelphia” attacked worse in these playoffs).

“We will be the Lakers that we have been throughout the season. In the last series we adjusted to the small ball, but now we can hope to return to the classic form, ”said Frank Vogel, the team’s coach, second in rebounds and first in blocks in the playoffs. This means that Jokic will have a hard time. And what does LAL have at the other end of the site, in attack?

What are you playing?

“LeBron and Davis played at the symbolic first-team level all season. We help them do it, ”said Kyle Kuzma.

With two superstars on their team, the Lakers are obviously building their game through James and Davis. Both are good at the low post, they can shoot from the perimeter or go under the ring, but their most important weapon is the interaction between them. Simply put, LeBron hangs, Anthony finishes.

Thanks to his phenomenal vision of the court and his considerable age (experience), “King” took basketball to a new level, combining it with American football. Outcome? LAL is the first in assists in the playoffs, and LeBron averages 8.8 assists per game, the first postseason figure among basketball players who have played five or more games.

The Lakers are playing at the fastest pace of any semifinalist in the championship. They lose the ball more frequently, but have the second attack (114.1 points per game) in the entire postseason, are the first in terms of the percentage of field shots (49.6%), and the difference between goals scored / embedded is the most impressive (+9). The team’s attacks are based on “katas”, constant openings (Green and KKP) for a free throw, playing on a counter (James-Davis) or using their strengths, as in the series with Houston, playing in the low post ( 76, 8% shots from the three-second zone).

This basketball, played by a Los Angeles team, is already called “Showtime.” But it has its weaknesses. You won’t fly in Green (just remember last year’s NBA Finals), Caldwell Pope is also a humorous player, Rondo, Kuzma and Morris don’t have a stable threat beyond the arc and can frankly miss singles games. But the most important thing is that James and LAL will stop.

Team captain

“I’m a winner and always have been,” said LeBron James, the strongest basketball player of our time. He is more often flirted than others by partners among all the remaining teams in the playoffs. With him on the court, the Lakers are earning 10.1 points more than they concede (and remember that the total of teams + – is 9 points). For Jokic, this figure is 0.2 points. LeBron reads the game.

And if the team stalls, James takes the ball into his own hands and organizes the race on his own. Is it possible to stop it? Dubious task. But covering the basketball player on receiving the ball, not letting him look at the court, actively folding and pressing, cleverly uses the safety net (as Miami with Yannis and Denver with Kawai show) and James cannot be that effective.

And he is already 35 years old! LeBron is capable of getting tired. Therefore, the next step in the evolution of the “King” may be a deliberate reduction of the team’s dependence on him. Coach Vogel said: “I am very proud of the whole team.” James has started playing more assists this season than ever. Perhaps it is time for them to return the favor, finding again and again their leader in the arc in the corner of the site in the role of a common sniper. Otherwise, the “lake” on your own skin will feel just like Paul and Kawai.

Secret weapon

“When you have an elite defense, it can be your third star,” Vogel said in an interview after the game against Houston. Defense and bench play can be an X factor for the Lakers in the late knockout stages. In fact, LAL was lucky, they didn’t have a serious rival yet. This rival could be the protagonist of LAC, but it is even more difficult. The Bench Nuggets were beating the Clippers bench. It’s time to trust Alex Caruso and company: “Caruso doesn’t make many mistakes. He knows I trust him, ”James shared his thoughts on the Lakers reservist. And Kyle Kuzma summed up: “If we don’t do our job, James and Davis won’t be able to succeed.”

The beginning of a new dynasty in Los Angeles?

“When I came to the Lakers, it is obvious that the objective was to win the championship and we have eight victories left. Everything is going very well for me. I like being with these guys, I like being with LeBron. It helps me get through it all, ”said Anthony Davis. Bubble basketball is unpredictable. And the Lakers remained the last super team with two full-blown superstars. James surely continues to compete for his place in history. His goal is to win this championship and return the Lakers to their status as the strongest organization in the NBA.

And right now there is an opportunity for the team to lay the foundations for the future dynasty, because the main opponents have already taken off. And later: “Denver” (the conference’s first final since 2009) and someone from the East.

“LeBron is very lucky. In the first round, he went to Portland, which was in its last stages, and then Damian Lillard got injured. In the second round, he got the pacifier from Houston, who ran without looking back at the first danger. LeBron must be happy with his eventual easy road, “said journalist Bill Simmons.

Watch out LeBron James, if you start playing sloppily your championship can slip away as easily as it did in 2011. Also, the remaining opposing teams don’t have a pronounced leader and the threat comes from all basketball players, and LeBron in the last stages of elimination games he likes to carry everything on his shoulders, playing alone.

Vyacheslav SHEVCHENKO