The Los Angeles Lakers may not have enjoyed the best season, but they have champions on their roster. LeBron James has gone to the NBA Finals more than 27 NBA franchises and has won 4 championships. Anthony Davis knows what it takes, too, making them dangerous opponents.
The Memphis Grizzlies found this out when they lost Game 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night. LeBron James and Anthony Davis had good games, but Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura shone the brightest on the night. And after the game, Davis revealed the advice he and James gave their younger teammates about the playoffs.
At the press conference, AD was asked about a meeting he and LeBron James had, “Austin said that you and LeBron kind of set the tone for how to approach Game 1 when you addressed the team on Thursday. How much can you share with us and what your message was?”
Davis replied, “We just told them that the playoffs are different… For us, we’ve been in playoff mode for 2 months but it’s different. Physicality increases. Mental aspect is a lot different. Valuing possessions, just things that we learned from our careers. A lot of guys have not been there. So we just wanted to harp on what it takes to be in the playoffs and what it takes to win.”
(starts at 1:45 minutes)
“Had a little stinger where my arm went completely numb. It was numb. … I couldn’t move it.” Anthony Davis on his shoulder injury, his defensive performance and the #Lakers team win. pic.twitter.com/2zu1INeQYO
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) April 17, 2023
The message seems to have worked, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell, and Jared Vanderbilt all had impactful contributions to the important win. The playoffs are a long slog, so there is a long way to go, but it’s a promising start for the Lakers at the moment.
Can The Los Angeles Lakers Beat The Memphis Grizzlies?
If LeBron James and Anthony Davis can afford to take a bit of a back seat and let their teammates cook on the way to wins, everyone else is in trouble. Rui Hachimura has been getting guidance and support from LeBron James, and if he takes the next step at this crucial stage, it will be hard to see how they don’t win it.
The Memphis Grizzlies have problems of their own. They lost home-court advantage by losing Game 1, and Ja Morant might not play in Game 2. What’s more, even if he does play, he’s not feeling entirely like himself. The Los Angeles Lakers are in a great position to advance in these playoffs.
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