![]() ![]() The more space on the floor he has in which to operate, the more dominant and effectively unstoppable he becomes. Whether James' presence alone is enough to coax some meaningful off-the-ball activity out of him remains to be seen.ĭavis is the same as LeBron. He is either in the play - read is the play - or is not involved at all. ![]() Westbrook, for all his otherworldly athleticism and ferocity around the rim, does not cut to the basket off the ball nor does he screen for others. Secondly, he also needs the ball in his hands. Westbrook, quite unfortunately, is literally the worst high-volume three-point shooter of all time. You could say that is of pretty grave importance given the maxim around LeBron James has never really changed: Surround him with shooters and a championship awaits. The problem with Westbrook, the Tasmanian Devil disguised as a point guard, is twofold. ![]() Russell Westbrook scores 19 points, 14 assists and 21 rebounds to help the Washington Wizards claim their first victory against the Philadelphia 76ers in their first-round playoff series. If the Lakers have to go stretches without James, Davis, or, heaven forbid, both, Westbrook is the exact kind of player you can rely on to put the team on his back in their stead, for better or worse. He is, as safety nets go, a pretty significant one, given his ability to handle the ball, create shots for team-mates, score at will and rebound like a man possessed. Westbrook was the first step in ensuring a repeat of that campaign is impossible. LeBron James scored the game-winning three with less than one minute to go as the Los Angeles Lakers booked their spot in the NBA PlayoffsĪdd to that Dennis Schroder's inconsistency as a third option, particularly his woeful shooting performances without Davis in Games 4 and 5 against the Suns (there is a reason he remains unsigned at the moment of writing) and back-up plan Andre Drummond's, shall we say, supreme and perpetual ineffectiveness when it comes to playoff basketball, and it seems evident Pelinka is attempting to pre-emptively mitigate against these doomsday scenarios as much as possible. Whatever their prestige and expectation, last season's team never actually looked like getting anywhere close. Let's not forget they faced the eventual Western Conference champions in the first round, and that they needed a 34-foot miracle three from LeBron to beat the Warriors to even get that far. That alone is enough to derail any title run. Neither James nor Davis were anywhere close to fully fit entering the post-season, or during it. The Lakers, who were widely expected to cakewalk to a back-to-back championship at the start of the season, fell apart in last season's playoffs for a few reasons. Experience, short-term contracts and huge amounts of player upheaval each offseason to maximise this, the home stretch of James' storied career. Open Privacy OptionsĪdd to that general manager Rob Pelinka's decision not to use their bird rights (meaning they could go over the salary cap) to re-sign Alex Caruso, 27 years old and a key bench piece, and it is clear the team is trending in only one direction. Twitter Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this. That move caught even the apparently omniscient Wojnarowski napping as he tweeted about interest in Kings guard Buddy Hield instead. ![]() Russell Westbrook, who was added in an earth-shattering trade last Friday, is 33 in November, a relative spring chicken. Starting center Marc Gasol is the same age. They join a Lakers roster headlined by LeBron James, who is 36 years old himself. Man Utd transfers: Henderson not part of USA tour | Forest still interested.Sky Sports F1 Podcast: Perez worried by Ricciardo return?.Fury announces fight against Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.Why Man Utd want Onana, the unique goalkeeper unearthed by Van der Sar.Kane set to return to Tottenham for talks with Postecoglou over future.Ricciardo returns to F1 with AlphaTauri as replacement for sacked De Vries.Papers: Man Utd to make six more signings this summer?.Transfer Centre LIVE! Lukaku, Kane, Hojlund latest. ![]()
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