LeBron James’ experience rose to the fore when he expertly read the Golden State Warriors’ game plan, and forcing Draymond Green to commit a huge blunder in the clutch.
Per a basketball coach who dissected the play on Twitter: “The Warriors call a hammer okay where Wiggins was screening for Klay. Lebron sniffs this out immediately and directs AD to switch. What Draymond did getting stuck in the air with no pass means they don’t deserve to win this game.”
The Warriors have relied on fast-paced offense and expertly setting screens to give their shooters the best chance. James read this play when Wiggins attempted to do it for Thompson and immediately matched up with Davis to lock up Thompson, meaning Green had no room virtually to get the ball across to the shooter.
This resulted in Green with no pass and the ball intercepted by Davis. And all of this with 15 seconds remaining in the final stretch of the game. Clearly, the tactic was undone and the Lakers walked off with a 104-101 win to take a solid 3-1 lead.
Quite simply, the credit rightfully goes to James for his game awareness and IQ. He’s played enough against the Warriors to understand their plays and this was one such instance when he broke down their plans. It’s also a testament to his memory who had earlier recalled all of the Lakers’ missed shots against the Lakers in Game 1.
LeBron James Impacts The Game With More Than Just His Scoring
James’ brilliant dissection of the Warriors’ play in the fourth quarter proved that he does more than just be a prolific scorer. This was seconded by his teammate, D’Angelo Russell who explained James was impactful in more than one way for the Lakers.
“Bron is a guy that could dominate the game from so many different aspects,” Russell told reporters after the Lakers’ comprehensive 127-97 win, via ClutchPoints.
“Obviously, a regular fan will recognize scoring, dunking, and things like that but he still affects the game with passing, defense, and communication. All those little things that you don’t really see on the stat sheet, he still led us in a way that you might not see.”
At 38, one would expect players to see a decline, and not just from a physical standpoint. But James has incredibly continued to defy time and keep himself locked in throughout the game, even when instinct attempts to take over. And as long as he’s on the floor, the Lakers have their hopes to the brim.
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