Los Angeles Lakers: 5 Lessons from win over Grizzlies

LeBron James set the tone and dominated the game.

Let me remind everyone of a quote used in the post game against the Spurs when LeBron James struggled last and faded in the second half…

"There are going to be games during the season, opposing teams are going to send players to be physical with LeBron who don’t have any problems using their six fouls. It is common knowledge that LeBron James is difficult to officiate considering his size and strength. LeBron is going to have to adapt to the way the game was called. The refs pretty much swallowed their whistles last night. LeBron James will have to adjust going forward."

This statement was made with the Memphis Grizzlies in mind. This is a team with the reputation of wearing down their opponents with their “Grit and Grind” identity on defense.

https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1071613283134713856

LeBron James flipped the script on the Grizzlies as he grinded his way to another near triple double, scoring 20 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists. His floor game was top-notch as he did not fall in love with 3 point shots (he missed all four) and continued attacking the basket with force.

This is the play right here that shut the arena down.

https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1071595520227831808

Kyle Kuzma grabbed the offensive rebound and draws two defenders out of the paint. LeBron James cuts straight to the basket. Kuzma hits him in stride and he dunks the ball with so much force, he basically runs up the basket support. This dunk had the Memphis fans cheering!

There has been a lot said on how the Lakers are trying to stay away from the “Cleveland” way of doing things with their offensive scheme. This is the vision.

LeBron James will command a lot of attention based off of his reputation alone. If he is constantly moving and being active OFF THE BALL…plays like this happen and it is easier on LeBron and the Lakers offense.

Long story short…Magic Johnson is a basketball genius. He just wants a balance of these plays with the normal things LeBron James can do…

Before we move on, take time to listen to the video below…

There are people who like LeBron James and those that don’t. When you are the face of the NBA, you are going to be the lightning rod of opinion. I will always be upfront with my analysis of him in post game reports. If he plays well, I will say so. If he stinks, I will say so. But the one thing that people will be hard pressed to say is that James does not have a heart.

This was very cool and he made not just a lifelong fan for himself but for the NBA and the Lakers as well. She may work for the Grizzlies but she will hard pressed not to root for the Lakers when they come back next year.