Los Angeles Lakers: 3 lessons from victory over Memphis Grizzlies

LeBron James played like a real efficient superstar in this game, just like the Los Angeles Lakers needed. 

The Los Angeles Lakers had all of the ingredients to lose this game. This was a trap game and if the Grizzlies didn’t play so horribly, they really could have won this game. Look at the excuses that would have been sold around Lakers Nation for a dollar.

1. The Los Angeles Lakers were rusty after a week-long layoff.
2. The referees cheated, they tried to foul out our entire front line.
3. AD got hurt early.
4. Or just the common narrative these days, just blame Kyle Kuzma for his play and ask for a trade even though the deadline passed two weeks ago.

LeBron James had different ideas. He sees a major opportunity and showed in this game that he is not going to blow it. With Davis in the locker room, LeBron got very aggressive and took advantage of his size and pushed the young Grizzlies under the basket time and time again.

https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1231090996869398529

Side note here, who in the world thought it was a good idea to put Tyus Jones on LeBron James in the post one on one? That’s nothing but buzzard meat right there.

Anyway, instead of firing up 3-point shots all night bailing Memphis out, James beat them up inside. Lake Show Life gets a lot of flak for criticizing this guy, but if he played in the post like this four maybe five times a game, the Lakers odds to making the Finals will increase. Nobody can stop this guy in the post. He’s too strong.

James drove to the rim with Jedi Knight force all game, getting to the line for a season-high 12 free throws. What’s even more remarkable is that he was seemingly the only one hitting them knocking down 11 of them.

Lake Show Life would like to blame Stu Lantz and Bill McDonald for jinxing him on his only miss (Just kidding guys! You know both of you are the best in the business!)

https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1231066904795549696

This early fast break collaboration with Danny Green got LeBron on track early to a 32 point night. The Lakers needed every point. He added seven assists and turned the ball over once. It was his best floor game in weeks.

There was some eye-rolling around the staff when he announced getting into “playoff mode” last year. No one bought it.

This year, LeBron is not talking about it, he’s being about it. His actions in this game spoke a lot louder than any sound bite he could speak on.