(Lock Please) The LeBron James - 22-23 NBA Playoff Thread - (Part 3)

[O_6]

The Steph/Klay/Wiggins/Draymond/Looney lineup has really been running this league recently.

5-man lineup Net Ratings:
2022 Regular Season: 0 minutes on court together
2022 Playoffs: +18.7 in 172 mins (#1 among 18 lineups over 60 mins)
2023 Regular Season: +21.9 in 331 mins (#1 among 102 lineups over 100 mins)
2023 Playoffs vs. Kings: +31.2 in 67 mins (#1 among 23 lineups over 25 mins in 1st round)

This is a 5 man unit that played 0 minutes together in last year's regular season, but were able to develop an immediate chemistry in the playoffs that spearheaded their Championship run. No playing time in the regular season and yet they were the most efficient lineup in the 2022 playoffs.

They were also the most efficient lineup in the 2023 regular season. They were also the most efficient lineup among the 2023 1st round playoff matchups. And yet, this is what they have done in 4 games vs. the Lakers...

2023 Playoffs vs. Lakers: -17.2 in 13 mins

I know Steve Kerr and the Warriors are aware of the 5-man lineup data. I'm sure he knows how dominant that 5 man unit of his has been since the 2022 playoffs. And yet, it seems like Kerr was so scared by what he saw in Game 1 that he felt the need to bench Looney. This despite the fact that Looney had 23 boards including 7 offensive, and he was only -2 plus/minus in a game the Warriors only lost by 5.

The Warriors are never dead until it's over. However, the fact that they swerved so hard from literally THE best 5-man lineup of the past year was a defining moment in this series imo. Anthony Davis' 2-way interior ability really limited the kind of impact Looney could make, and having 2 elite finishers in LeBron/AD further exposes the lack of rim protection Looney provides.

The Warriors making that change helped lead to a bigtime Game 2 win, but IMO if they have any chance in this series they need to just go back to and trust the Curry/Klay/Wiggins/Dray/Looney lineup. Especially with Jordan Poole struggling right now. Go back to that 5-man unit that won you a Championship last year. The unit that was the best in the regular season this year AND the 1st round this year. I know AD and LeBron seems like a bad matchup for that unit, but the Warriors have to trust themselves and ride the unit that's carried them the last year imo.

[Ainosterhaspie]

Actually come away with a new found respect for the Warriors. I can absolutely see how Celtics folded in the finals. Lakers are mental beasts to have overcome double digit leads in 2 straight games. I think even some of us gave up at least once.

It was cracking me up reading the pessimistic panic even before the Warriors opened their big lead. Credit to the Warriors for being so terrifying. They can induce serious pucker in an instant.

[homecourtloss]

Actually come away with a new found respect for the Warriors. I can absolutely see how Celtics folded in the finals. Lakers are mental beasts to have overcome double digit leads in 2 straight games. I think even some of us gave up at least once.

The Warriors with their core players are much better than what their record implies and have arguments as the best team when looking at the minutes of their core players.

Curry/Green/Klay/Wiggins were +11.9 per 100 in the regular season
Curry/Green/Looney/Klay were +19.0
Curry/Green/LooneyWiggins were +21.0

So when healthy, this Warriors team is absolutely a beast and not the slightly above average team that the overall record shows. Frankly, it’s still a championship level team and I don’t think any team left in the playoffs could defeat them other than maybe the suns with a healthy Chris Paul.

In this last game in which the Lakers could seemingly never get ahead and stay ahead and were always on the verge of a Curry 30 footer breaking the game open, they went possession by possession, defending well, and then eventually taking the lead.

The Warriors went to the offense they go to when their backs are against the wall (i.e., putting the ball in Curry’s hands). The Warriors threw one haymaker after another and the Lakers didn’t wilt. The early third-quarter push to get the lead to eight, the run that came right after the Lakers run to get the lead back up to 11 and then eventually 12, and so on — I really thought that the game was lost at each of those intervals but the Lakers much like they have done all year kept on coming back. Very much like the 2016 Cavs, you can tell that they had been prepared for what was going to come in and they stood up remarkably well. This is the advantage of having someone like LeBron, having been through all of this. Unlike what his detractors say, you can tell that he really relishes this match up, and respects the Warriors greatly, and has taught his team what it takes to beat them.

[RRR3]

This Lakers unit feels like a team of destiny.

Things like this Lonnie Walker performance... They don't happen for teams that aren't on the pathway to something historic.

They will win this series, whether it's in 5 or 6, the Warriors don't look like they have any aces left to pull.

Both the Suns and Nuggets in the WCF would be beatable, though I'm not sure who the preferred opponent is.

Yah they played their trump card and it was pretty gimmicky and they lost (they needed to get a game off the gimmick since it probably doesn't work as well the next game given Lakers could review film). Lakers finally adjusted (I'm screaming at the beginning of the 3rd quarter to get Vanderbilt off the damn court) and righted the ship.

AD has forced them to play extremely small in order for them to open up their offense. Lakers were letting them get away with it by having crap spacing and unable to drive (those Lebron jumper jacks in the 3rd quarter were killing me, get Vanderbilt off the court!). I did not think Lebron bum hunting was going to be the solution (thought it was gonna be AD inside) but makes sense. Lebron facing no rim protection and enough with spacing is why he's the GOAT.

Exactly my thoughts. Masterful stroke by Kerr pulling out his ace in the hole during the turning point of the series. It won't work as well the rest of the series but for one game it gave the Warriors what they needed. Fortunately, the Warriors big 3 fell short down the stretch.

I don't like that they keep needing random role player games to grind out wins. Will we ever see lebron and AD close out a game this postseason.

LeBron isn't gonna have a big scoring game unless he's on fire shooting because of his foot injury severely limiting his slashing. Would love to see AD have one of his 40/20 games in game 5 and close it out though.

[rk2023]

Curry can keep climbing as he builds some rather impressive longevity.

At his current pace Curry will reach Lebron's career minutes as early as 2035 and his career playoff VORP around 2039

Climbing in general / additively and Climbing 'to LeBron James standards' are two different, distant ball-parks

[Heej]

Yah they played their trump card and it was pretty gimmicky and they lost (they needed to get a game off the gimmick since it probably doesn't work as well the next game given Lakers could review film). Lakers finally adjusted (I'm screaming at the beginning of the 3rd quarter to get Vanderbilt off the damn court) and righted the ship.

AD has forced them to play extremely small in order for them to open up their offense. Lakers were letting them get away with it by having crap spacing and unable to drive (those Lebron jumper jacks in the 3rd quarter were killing me, get Vanderbilt off the court!). I did not think Lebron bum hunting was going to be the solution (thought it was gonna be AD inside) but makes sense. Lebron facing no rim protection and enough with spacing is why he's the GOAT.

Exactly my thoughts. Masterful stroke by Kerr pulling out his ace in the hole during the turning point of the series. It won't work as well the rest of the series but for one game it gave the Warriors what they needed. Fortunately, the Warriors big 3 fell short down the stretch.

I don't like that they keep needing random role player games to grind out wins. Will we ever see lebron and AD close out a game this postseason.

LeBron isn't gonna have a big scoring game unless he's on fire shooting because of his foot injury severely limiting his slashing. Would love to see AD have one of his 40/20 games in game 5 and close it out though.

Glass half empty: it's questionable whether this version of LeBron that relies on his jumper and garbage points to score is enough to push the Lakers all the way

Glass half full: Lebron might continue looking more spry and the Lakers more together, and there's a good chance that every rotation player along with the coaching staff as a whole can level up next season and go bonkers.

Completely agree about AD. A random feather in his portability cap: is this the first team in NBA history where the superstar duo gets their best buckets off of garbage points and the role players are the ones doing most of the creating? Very unique

[trickshot]

I wonder what Lakers will use next game to guard the Curry PnR. They are going to spam it from start to finish next game. Letting AD switch worked so should they continue with it? Certainly looked like Curry was bothered trying to shoot over him. Attacking Curry is also a must, Lebron and Walker.

[Colbinii]

I wonder what Lakers will use next game to guard the Curry PnR. They are going to spam it from start to finish next game. Letting AD switch worked so should they continue with it? Certainly looked like Curry was bothered trying to shoot over him. Attacking Curry is also a must, Lebron and Walker.

A few major takeaways and adjustments

-AD needs to blitz the Pick and Roll harder to disrupt the preferred angles of passing. If Curry's only pass is parallel to the baseline rather than closer to the backer to where he is trapped, the Lakers can easily rotate to the open man/shooter after trapping Curry

-LeBron needs to be posting-up and attacking Curry earlier. The earlier you force Curry into that position, the quicker he will tire and/or commit silly fouls

-LeBron hunting Curry forces the Warriors to once again double James [even a soft double] which results in Dlo/Reaves/Walker an open 3

-Curry spamming the pick and roll allows the Lakers perimeter defenders to not need to chase Curry all over. This means less Vando and more offensive role players.

Its been an excellent series in terms of back and forth adjustments. Adjustments have been made in each game. Cant wait until Wednesday!

[Ian Scuffling]

Ok. I know I’m the idiot for wading in to the bleacher report message board, but what rationale or logic (really neither) is behind the Lakers’ 2020 championship not being legit? I hadn’t heard that bit of stupidity before. Thanks in advance.

[Ainosterhaspie]

Ok. I know I’m the idiot for wading in to the bleacher report message board, but what rationale or logic (really neither) is behind the Lakers’ 2020 championship not being legit? I hadn’t heard that bit of stupidity before. Thanks in advance.

I'd guess the following "reasoning"...

Didn't have to face hostile crowds. Pressure wasn't the same. Everything was turned upside down so the chaos of the time disrupted things too much for it to be meaningful. Competition was weak.

[Baski]

Ok. I know I’m the idiot for wading in to the bleacher report message board, but what rationale or logic (really neither) is behind the Lakers’ 2020 championship not being legit? I hadn’t heard that bit of stupidity before. Thanks in advance.

Any room next to you under that rock?

[mcraft]

Ok. I know I’m the idiot for wading in to the bleacher report message board, but what rationale or logic (really neither) is behind the Lakers’ 2020 championship not being legit? I hadn’t heard that bit of stupidity before. Thanks in advance.

There’s one of them for sure here in the PC board and probably more.

[Homer38]

I hope Ham is right!

Read on Twitter

[Heej]

Actually come away with a new found respect for the Warriors. I can absolutely see how Celtics folded in the finals. Lakers are mental beasts to have overcome double digit leads in 2 straight games. I think even some of us gave up at least once.

It was cracking me up reading the pessimistic panic even before the Warriors opened their big lead. Credit to the Warriors for being so terrifying. They can induce serious pucker in an instant.

Many of us have PTSD still

[zimpy27]

I hope Ham is right!

Read on Twitter

I think I said this exact thing yesterday. LeBron is absolutely riding this team until he has to drag them. He's done the playoffs enough and knows his body enough to know that they are not winning a championship if he needs to expend too much of his energy in the first 2 rounds.

[MisterHibachi]

https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nba/how-austin-reaves-the-hillbilly-kobe-won-over-lebron-james

But Reaves believes James took his game to another level.

James recently told Reaves something that still reverberates with him.

"I had come off a ball screen and I had already made up my mind that I was going to get him the ball," Reaves recalled of a particular game scenario with James. "That's obviously never a bad decision. But the way they were guarding us, it called for me to get downhill, get to the rim or make a play for somebody else.

"He came up to me and was like, 'Don't worry about getting me the ball. I'm going to find obviously ways to impact the game and I'm going to do what I do. Just be yourself. And take what the defense gives you.'"

They were simple words, but Reaves took them to heart. It unlocked something in him. It gave him permission to be himself.

In fact, he doesn't think he would've developed into the player he has become if he hadn't been alongside James the past two seasons.

"He obviously knows he's not a normal human," Reaves said. "But sometimes he doesn't understand what weight his words hold. He can really light something into a group of guys or into an individual just by his words."

[Colbinii]

https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nba/how-austin-reaves-the-hillbilly-kobe-won-over-lebron-james

But Reaves believes James took his game to another level.

James recently told Reaves something that still reverberates with him.

"I had come off a ball screen and I had already made up my mind that I was going to get him the ball," Reaves recalled of a particular game scenario with James. "That's obviously never a bad decision. But the way they were guarding us, it called for me to get downhill, get to the rim or make a play for somebody else.

"He came up to me and was like, 'Don't worry about getting me the ball. I'm going to find obviously ways to impact the game and I'm going to do what I do. Just be yourself. And take what the defense gives you.'"

They were simple words, but Reaves took them to heart. It unlocked something in him. It gave him permission to be himself.

In fact, he doesn't think he would've developed into the player he has become if he hadn't been alongside James the past two seasons.

"He obviously knows he's not a normal human," Reaves said. "But sometimes he doesn't understand what weight his words hold. He can really light something into a group of guys or into an individual just by his words."

The Messiah himself.

[Colbinii]

Ok. I know I’m the idiot for wading in to the bleacher report message board, but what rationale or logic (really neither) is behind the Lakers’ 2020 championship not being legit? I hadn’t heard that bit of stupidity before. Thanks in advance.

Sounds like you live a more productive life than most of us here. Congrats

[dreamshake]

I legitimately have no idea which matchup is preferable between Denver & Phoenix. I've changed my mind on it like 5 times lol. (Not overlooking GSW - gotta put the nail in that coffin first)

[jalengreen]

I much prefer Phoenix. We've a much better defense than what they've faced so far. Jokic is the best player in the world and matchup wise, I think he's a greater concern than Booker/Durant. Booker's been crazy but I don't think he keeps that up against this defense tbh

I think Denver wins it tho sadly.