In what has been the most interesting series in the playoffs so far, the Lakers and Warriors are battling it out in a matchup that features some familiar faces. Once again, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are going toe-to-toe against LeBron James, and this time, they have to deal with the play of Anthony Davis, who has had an up-and-down series so far.
But even for LeBron, this isn’t the way he’s played in years past and his modern-day play style is throwing the Warriors off. After going scoreless in the first quarter and then dominating the rest of the way, LeBron had Steph looking for answers in Game 3.
“Steph said to me, ‘Yo, I’m trying to figure Bron out.’ After not taking a shot through most of the first half, he end up getting it going with 21, 8 and 8,” said Dray, “You know, it was big, really big. He hit some big shots, some timely shots.”
Game 3 reaction pod out now: https://t.co/nYLggOIAir pic.twitter.com/yHsYqTeD9u
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) May 8, 2023
The last time the Warriors saw LeBron in the playoffs, he was a different player. Back then, he had the ball in his hands constantly and was always looking to be aggressive to score the ball.
Now, at 38, Bron is much more passive, and it seems he is more keen to pick and choose his spots rather than try to play at full speed for the entire game. In truth, James isn’t the go-to option for this Lakers team and it’s something we haven’t seen before with LeBron teams.
In this series and these playoffs (just like it was in 2020), it’s all about Anthony Davis and if he can step up to deliver when it matters most.
Why Did LeBron Refuse To Shoot At The Start Of Game 3?
We probably shouldn’t expect LeBron to drop zero in a quarter very often, but James has no problem doing it if his team is cooking offensively.
“Well obviously, you see the way DLo (D’Angelo Russell) started the game,” James said. “I think he had our first 11, and then AD (Anthony Davis) chipped in I believe seven in that quarter. So it allowed me to kind of focus on the glass, also had a few assists in that first quarter. Wasn’t how the game was planned but that’s just how the game was going and for me, I’m never a force guy.”
Now more than ever, LeBron is leaning on his teammates and thanks to Rob Pelinka’s series of roster changes, the Lakers have enough depth to make this game plan work.
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