It is often said that LeBron James’ basketball IQ is off the charts and that he is one of the smartest players ever. Well, James’ basketball knowledge was on display on his new Mind The Game podcast when he talked about how players should defend the most common “BOB” or “BLOB” (Baseline out of bounds) action in the NBA: the pick-the-picker or screen-the-screener set.
In the video below, you will find diagrams that explain just how James wants the defense to react to that action.
LeBron James & JJ Redick talking hoops on their new podcast.
Here's what they were saying. pic.twitter.com/YLMzGwIlmy
— NBEinstein (@NBEinstein) March 19, 2024
JJ Redick said it is indeed a good coverage and we have actually seen it in college basketball. Here is a perfect representation of guarding the “BOB” action in the way that James explained.
MSU has been guarding BLOB action this way all season. This is going to be a fun ass pod. https://t.co/zMVH4YNUyS pic.twitter.com/u7kIHqxqzL
— bflow (@BFlowSpartan) March 18, 2024
This is in some ways how LeBron defends against the Golden State Warriors. Instead of fighting through a screen to guard the shooter, he sends the player defending the screener to contest the shot or block the passing lane. It is a different kind of action, but we saw an example at the end of Game 4 of the 2023 Western Conference Semifinals. Just keep your eyes on James and Anthony Davis when you watch the clip.
(starts at 3:44 mark):
Had James tried to fight through the screen set by Andrew Wiggins, there would have been an open passing lane there. Draymond Green could have fizzed it in and Klay Thompson would have had an open three. LeBron recognized the play right away and had Davis slide over while he guarded Wiggins.
Getting back to “BOB,” below are examples of how mistakes are made when defending that action.
LeBron and @jj_redick's teaser talked about the most common "BOB" (or BLOB) action in the NBA: the pick-the-picker or screen-the-screener set.
So I decided to use the Warriors' favorite pick-the-picker set ("Rub") to demonstrate what they were talking about.
Would not doubt… pic.twitter.com/HfsrYwXNYu
— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) March 19, 2024
Visualizations like these really help the casual fan understand what James was talking about. It can get really complex without them and, fortunately, LeBron confirmed that they will be adding visuals or clips in future episodes.
“Full episode up tomorrow. This is for everyone who truly loves our beautiful game. Shout out to JJ Redick for creating this with us. Wait until we add the visuals/clips to go along with it too! OMG.”
Full episode up tomorrow. This is for everyone who truly loves our beautiful game. Shout out to @jj_redick for creating this with us. Wait until we add the visuals/clips to go along with it too! OMG 😱🤯🤯😁 https://t.co/mrAhW8c3bH
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 18, 2024
I have to say this podcast sure does look like a must-watch for any basketball fan. You would gain a deeper understanding of the game and this truly is a wonderful idea that James and Redick have come up with.
So many current and former NBA players have basketball podcasts now and these two have created something that stands out. That isn’t just because LeBron is on it, but for just how different the concept is, compared to the rest.
NBA Players On LeBron James’ Incredible Basketball Mind
While fans and talking heads in the media have marveled at LeBron’s basketball mind, so have his peers. Patrick Beverley was impressed by James’ basketball IQ when they were teammates on the Lakers.
Norman Powell, meanwhile, opened up on LeBron destroying the Raptors, as he had a counter for everything they did. Powell said James would call out their plays and admitted his mind was on a completely different level.
Channing Frye went as far as to say LeBron’s mind is like a computer. The two were teammates on the Cleveland Cavaliers and Frye stated James would even know substitution patterns. There was even an instance of him telling a Raptors player where he was supposed to be on a play, which is just incredible.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
