3 secret weapons the Lakers have for the NBA Playoffs
By Jason Reed
LeBron James’ defense
LeBron James does not always play defense but when he does it turns out being really good, even at the ripe age of 38.
LeBron obviously is not the defender he was in his prime when he was one of the most overlooked defensive players in the league. LeBron was legitimately elite on the defensive side of the basketball but as his career progressed, he has gotten the label of not being a good defender.
That is because LeBron made the business decision to not always give 100% effort on defense in the regular season. This is something that predates the Lakers back to his later years with the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron smartly realized he didn’t need to play elite-level defense in March basketball games every single possession.
He was better off conserving his energy for the offensive side of the floor. When the playoffs roll around, though, LeBron kicks it up a gear and showcases that he can still defend the best players in the sport.
LeBron will continually put more and more emphasis on that side of the floor as the playoffs go along and he is not going to be a matchup advantage like other teams might expect. It will actually be quite the opposite.