Los Angeles Lakers: 4 players who play better in the postseason
By Josh Wilson
Lakers better in the playoffs: LeBron James
It is well known that LeBron James is key in the clutch playoff moments and has historically been a dominant force in the postseason. He’s won three NBA titles — two with the Miami Heat and one with the Cleveland Cavaliers — and made it to nine.
On his career, James averages 27.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game. In the postseason he averages 28.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game. His minutes typically increase by about 9 percent, and his rebounding is the biggest counting stat that jumps up, which is 20 percent greater in the playoffs than his regular-season number.
His box plus/minus, a catch-all advanced stat, is 14.6 percent higher in the postseason than it is in the regular season. That’s a pretty remarkable statistic given that his regular-season BPM is already extremely high (8.9). The postseason jump puts him above the double-digit mark at 10.2.
This one is no shock. James is the de facto leader of the team and takes on whatever responsibility is needed to push his team to victory.