In the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies, LeBron James wasn’t at his best. Yet, the Los Angeles Lakers were able to still get past Ja Morant and company without too much trouble in six games.
The Lakers now start what should be an enthralling Western Conference semifinal series against the Golden State Warriors, and it will be a stiff challenge for both teams.
James averaged 22.2 points a game versus Memphis while shooting 48.6% from the field and 67.7% from the free-throw line, and that number of points at a substandard level of efficiency simply will not get it done against the defending world champs.
If he ramps it up in these three areas, the Lakers should have a good chance of advancing to the Western Conference finals.
Attack the basket
Against the Grizzlies, the Lakers had to contend with big man Jaren Jackson Jr., the Defensive Player of the Year who led the league with 3 blocked shots a game during the regular season.
But Golden State lacks that kind of rim protection. It did not have a single player who averaged even 1 block a game in the regular season and it ranked 25th in blocks per game as a team.
James didn’t attack the basket with regularity against the Grizzlies, and he often settled for jumpers. During the regular season, 30.9% of his shot attempts came from 3-point range, but that number went up to 38.3% in the first round.
He should have an easier time driving to the hoop against the Warriors. They’re an undersized team, and James is bigger than Kevon Looney, their starting center.
Shoot better from the outside
James has struggled all season shooting from the perimeter. In the regular season he made just 32.1% of his 3-point attempts, which was down from 35.9% last season, and against the Grizzlies he connected on an icy 19.5% of his shots from downtown.
Everyone knows about the Warriors’ 3-point shooting prowess. Although the Lakers cannot and should not try to outshoot the Warriors, they do need to shoot better than the 31% they shot from 3-point land versus Memphis.
That has to start with James since he shoots approximately as many treys as anyone else on his team. He needs to exercise good shot selection and not shoot 3-pointers passively as a last resort after milking the shot clock. He needs to be more decisive about taking such shots earlier in the shot clock and make sure he’s in rhythm when he does so.
Bring his A game
At this point in his career, the 38-year-old James does certain things throughout a long season to save his body for big moments when his team needs him to play his best.
Well, this series is that time. If the Lakers win this series, they will be serious contenders for the NBA title, rather than merely a team that could win it all if everything lines up well.
If and when they need a vintage performance from James, he shouldn’t hold back much. Now is the time to plant his feet, make a stand and send the Warriors home for a long and painful summer.
