Few people can break down a play better than the elite athletes of the game who have made their way into the GOAT debate. As a part of that group, LeBron James recently showcased the extent of his basketball IQ by detailing his approach in games against an opposition like the Clippers. On the second episode of Mind the Game Pod, LeBron talked about the defensive strategy of the Lakers for Kawhi Leonard.
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LBJ was asked by his co-host JJ Redick if he thinks the teams switch too much during games and if sticking to their primary player would be a better option. Redick said, “If you’re Atlanta, should you just hedge with Trae Young?” LeBron agreed with this stance and then recalled how he discarded the Lakers’ switching strategy against the Clippers.
LeBron said, “In the Clipper game, we had switching built in versus Kawhi and versus James and whatever the case maybe…And I vetoed it in the second half.”
Even though switching is not totally a useless strategy and often proves to be a valuable asset in restricting scoring opportunities, LeBron said that he vetoed the strategy from his team’s plans against the Clippers to prevent mismatches on the court, especially when the opposition has players like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
The four-time NBA Champion added that he understands Ty Lue’s game very well and therefore decided to amend the team’s strategy. He said, “I know T-Lue more than any other player that’s ever been with T-Lue, and I know he plays target ball too. It got to a point where I knew in order for us to get back into the game, switching anybody else into Kawhi, it’s not favorable for us…so I vetoed it.”
LeBron’s strategy in the second half of the game proved to be the savior for the Lakers as they won the 28th February game 116-112. He had a brilliant performance at the end of it as well and finished the game with 34 points, six rebounds, and eight assists.
The Lakers vs the Clippers
The LA teams clashing is an interesting rivalry to say the least, because not only do these teams compete for a better spot in the Western Conference, but their battle is also about being the better team in LA. Historically, the Lakers have been far more superior than the Clippers. But in recent years, the momentum has started to shift a little bit. The Lakers are 3-1 this season against the Clippers, but the Clips have certainly been the better squad this season.
The last time the Lakers had won a regular season series against the Clippers was in 2011-12, when they had a 2-1 record. Other than that, the Lakers managed to tie the series in 2018-19 and 2019-20. But in the last six seasons, the Clippers lead them 16-7.
