Despite not winning in the end, the Los Angeles Lakers gave the Phoenix Suns a fierce fight on Sunday. LeBron James even took on the task of defending Suns standout Kevin Durant during the second half’s outstanding defensive performance.
LeBron James was able to defend one of the greatest pure scorers in NBA history despite the fact that he was in his 21st season and Jarred Vanderbilt and Cam Reddish were both sidelined by injuries.
After the game, LeBron discussed matching up with Durant, with whom he has a great deal of history, and he said he would be prepared to stand up and defend other stars in the future.
James said, “I could pick my spots, for sure, when it comes to that,” in response to a question about accepting the task of defending other celebrities. “I am aware of my tendencies.
We matched up a lot tonight. I’ve had my matchups with KD, and he’s got his matchups with me. It was difficult, therefore, particularly when you were attempting to pick up the pace, get guys involved, and stop one of the best players in the game. But our nature makes us that way. Some guys have that kind of build, and we can rise to the challenge. To be honest, it was nice to be out on the same floor as KD.
LeBron should ideally not have to handle the role of top defensive option in addition to his heavy offensive load for the Lakers. However, he may occasionally be required to take on those responsibilities as well due to injuries to important defenders, particularly Vanderbilt, and he is prepared to do so in order to support this squad.
James might be need to do so once again when the Lakers play the Los Angeles Clippers in their upcoming game, which means they will see Kawhi Leonard again. LeBron, though, is prepared to accept the task if called upon, and everyone else has to be prepared to go above and beyond to help the Lakers win.
LeBron James: Lakers attacking and getting to free throw line is ‘what we do’
The Lakers’ inability to make free throws was another of the game’s most significant narratives. The Lakers only made it to the line eight times, which is quite unusual for them even though they shot the ball brilliantly from beyond the arc. The Lakers’ ability to attack the rim and go to the line is fundamental to who they are, as LeBron James made evident.
That is our identity, James declared. However, many individuals—many coaches, in fact—many teams believe that the Lakers only do anything when they get to the free throw line. There is a misconception that our only accomplishment is reaching the free throw line.”Well, we do have attackers, that much is true. We shoot the ball from the perimeter and have attackers, yet we don’t even make 40 or 50 three-pointers in a game. That’s not our team. Since we don’t have the luxury of becoming that team, we focus on our strength—getting paint on the floor. We are definitely not eight free throw attempts in a row. I’m aware that I was hit a few times tonight while heading to the paintball without being called, but that’s life.