NBA Playoffs 2023

[celticsclay]

Davis with two points and 4 shots approaching half. What is he terrified of here?

I don't get it. Just appears to not want it every night.

Warriors ought to capitalize on this then.

It’s just crazy. He looks like wilt last game any tonight like Eric montross

[CelticSooner]

Davis with two points and 4 shots approaching half. What is he terrified of here?

I don't get it. Just appears to not want it every night.

Warriors ought to capitalize on this then.

It’s just crazy. He looks like wilt last game any tonight like Eric montross

LOL

[Phantom255x]

Game 2 Klay showing up again

Also it’s crazy that there’s a team out there that gets more benefit from the refs than Golden State, but here we are… 

[Walker Wiggle]

Do you find it strange that the most athletic player in the league is 38 years old and has played 20 NBA seasons?

[Roy H.]

I give you guys credit for your love of basketball.  I'm not watching a minute of Lakers vs. Warriors.  I can't stand either team.

[Who]

Is Davis just all mental? Like how does he go from dominant to invisible every other game

I don't think they involve him enough in the offense.

One part of his game that has bothered me throughout his NBA career is that he has not made passing a major part of his arsenal. He was a better passer in Kentucky than he was in New Orleans. In New Orleans they kept asking him to score. He went away from the offensive facilitator he was in Kentucky.

Being a passer and high post facilitator allows you to impact the game more on offense. It makes you more of a threat because the opposing team has to worry about you every time you touch the ball because you are a threat to score. So the defense reacts strongly to you. This can be used to unbalance a defense. And AD has good guard skills with his handles and his passing. It is not like he can't do it.

I would love to see LAL use AD more as a high post facilitator and do a lot more in terms of dribble hand offs and off ball cutting. It would make their offense much more dynamic. Less reliant on one-on-one play. Use AD more like SAC uses Sabonis in the high post.

This too helps Davis because he touches the ball more. His passing allows him to help the team even when not scoring. And he'll get a few more scoring opportunities just out of touching it more often.

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In addition (to the not involving AD enough), LAL got three ball happy shot happy perimeter players in LeBron, D Russell, Schroder and A Reaves. Those guys take up a lot of touches and a lot of time on the ball. It is hard to get AD the touches he warrants even in his current role because he has to compete with all those guys for shots. And then you have Hachimura who is a black-hole. He doesn't even understand what pass is.   

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The other big hold back for AD's consistency is that his midrange jump-shot and outside shooting have seemed to abandoned him. His shooting has been so inconsistent since the Bubble 3 years ago. It is amazing how up and down his shooting is. When his shot isn't there, he loses a chunk of scoring. He becomes a paint only scorer for the most part. That makes him less consistent as well.

[Who]

Do you find it strange that the most athletic player in the league is 38 years old and has played 20 NBA seasons?

LeBron is not the most athletic player in the league anymore. He is still very impressive when he can run in a straight line and build up a head of steam but he doesn't explode well (on ground or jumping) from a more stationary position. He also doesn't change directions that well anymore either.

I do find it strange how well he gets to loose balls. The rebounds I understand because that is more about positioning and size which he still has plenty of but I do get surprised by how many loose balls he manages to chase down. Maybe that is just his ability to read the game well and anticipate sorta like Bird or Magic. I don't know.

For most of this playoffs, I've been shocked by how badly his quickness has fallen off. How much he has struggled to beat his man even when given a mismatch in one-on-ones. Again, great in transition when he can build up a head of steam and use that physically powerful frame ... but a lot of struggles getting to the paint in the halfcourt.

I mean, A Reaves has been averaging more drives per game than LeBron has in the playoffs. That is how much LeBron has been struggling to beat his man one-on-one off the dribble.

[Who]

On AD and passing:

It is a bit like Jaylen Brown, on nights where Jaylen isn't hitting his shots he becomes a non-entity on offense. It is because he adds very little value in terms of his ball-handling and passing. Being a good passer makes you more consistent on offense. It allows you to help your team on nights where your shot isn't falling.

For a big man, I am thinking Jermaine O'Neal. Kind of a black hole. Non passer. When his shot wasn't falling, he wasn't helping his team on offense.

This is what bugs me about AD because he is clearly a capable passer. He has good handles and good passing. He was a guard until late in high school. He showed good passing at Kentucky. He shows it at times in the NBA. But he is never put in a position by his coach to utlize or even further develop those passing skills. It drives me nuts when coaches do not understand the importance and value of big man passing.

[SparzWizard]

It's like Game 1 they look like all-world beaters and then Game 2 they fall back down to earth, just happy to get the split. Same with the Memphis series.

Hope the Warriors can steal one or two in LA

[Who]

GSW with 28 assists on 36 baskets

Steph with 11 assists already. Q3 not even over yet. Using all that attention LAL are giving him against LAL and getting everyone else involved. Draymond with 7 assists. Together they have 18 of the 28 assists.

[celticsclay]

Do you find it strange that the most athletic player in the league is 38 years old and has played 20 NBA seasons?

Lol is this a joke? Lebron is not in the top 50 most athletic players in the league.

[celticsclay]

Do you find it strange that the most athletic player in the league is 38 years old and has played 20 NBA seasons?

LeBron is not the most athletic player in the league anymore. He is still very impressive when he can run in a straight line and build up a head of steam but he doesn't explode well (on ground or jumping) from a more stationary position. He also doesn't change directions that well anymore either.

I do find it strange how well he gets to loose balls. The rebounds I understand because that is more about positioning and size which he still has plenty of but I do get surprised by how many loose balls he manages to chase down. Maybe that is just his ability to read the game well and anticipate sorta like Bird or Magic. I don't know.

For most of this playoffs, I've been shocked by how badly his quickness has fallen off. How much he has struggled to beat his man even when given a mismatch in one-on-ones. Again, great in transition when he can build up a head of steam and use that physically powerful frame ... but a lot of struggles getting to the paint in the halfcourt.

I mean, A Reaves has been averaging more drives per game than LeBron has in the playoffs. That is how much LeBron has been struggling to beat his man one-on-one off the dribble.

Great post who, there is a lot of data that backs up what you said. Ringer had an article on him lately and the athleticism is just not there anymore aside from the situations you mentioned.

[CelticSooner]

It's like Game 1 they look like all-world beaters and then Game 2 they fall back down to earth, just happy to get the split. Same with the Memphis series.

Hope the Warriors can steal one or two in LA

Should be tied up 2-2 heading into Game 5. GS just needs to keep the pace up and tire the Lakers out.

[SparzWizard]

It's like Game 1 they look like all-world beaters and then Game 2 they fall back down to earth, just happy to get the split. Same with the Memphis series.

Hope the Warriors can steal one or two in LA

Should be tied up 2-2 heading into Game 5. GS just needs to keep the pace up and tire the Lakers out.

Still concerned of Warriors' road woes. They haven't won in Lakers' turf this season. Hope that's the case tho!

[celticsclay]

Lebron has gaudy stats but has the worst plus minus on team. Why?